The vice-president of the Republic and minister of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services (MDIC), Geraldo Alckmin (PSB), stated this Thursday (5) that the Brazilian trade balance registered a record in February, with 15.6% growth in exports.
According to data presented by the minister, the sum of exports and imports was also a record for the month, with an increase of 5.3% in the annual comparison.
In the two months, exports grew 5% compared to the same period of the previous year. For Alckmin, the result reinforces the expansion of foreign sales and increases Brazil’s participation in international trade.
Departure from the ministry
The vice president also took advantage of the event to announce his departure from the MDIC, which will take place in April, to possibly participate in the October elections. Alckmin avoided going into details about which position he might run for, but said he would not resign as vice president.
The expectation is that Geraldo Alckmin will run for the government of São Paulo or for a seat in the Senate, to reinforce President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s electoral platform in the state.
At the beginning of the month, Lula had said that he would have a conversation with the vice president and the Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad (PT), about the elections in São Paulo.
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Mercosur
At the event, Alckmin also celebrated the Senate’s approval of the trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union, which could become the largest free trade agreement in the world.
“It is the largest trade agreement between economic blocs in the world and expands Brazil’s integration with international markets”, he highlighted. The vice-president also stated that the text will be signed by the president and should enter into force provisionally after 60 days.
To the press, Alckmin reinforced that the country will be able to respond quickly in exceptional situations, thanks to the decree that regulates safeguards to protect sectors if the agreement generates relevant losses.
