Strong investment from the Ministry of Agriculture in the internationalization and opening of new markets for the Portuguese produce

Internationalization is a core aspect of the competitiveness of the Portuguese economy and one of the strategic priorities of the government for the agri-food sector. Currently, 64 markets are open for 269 products: 185 from the animal category, 63 from the plants category (fruits, vegetables, and flowers), and 21 directly related to animal feed.

The Ministry of Agriculture has been supporting sectoral strategies and its articulation with policies and support instruments, contributing to the national goal of increasing agri-food exports and investment in international markets. The government plans on opening 73 new markets and enabling the export of around 364 products (272 from the animal sector, 54 from the plant sector, and 38 from the animal feed sector).

Currently, 71% of the Portuguese agri-food exports have European Union countries as their final destination and only the remaining 29% represent transactions outside of the European Union borders, with Angola and Brazil the two most important destinations. In the near future, bilateral diplomatic initiatives are expected to be strengthened with countries like India and China in order to successfully establish new business opportunities for Portuguese entrepreneurs.