E-commerce could increase Lusophone exports to China

Exports from Portuguese-speaking countries to China rose by 22.1% between January and August, reaching $105.8 billion, a record for the first eight months of the year, according to Chinese customs data. Ji Xianzheng, secretary general of the Forum of Macao, said e-commerce could further increase these sales in comments to the Lusa news agency.

Ji urged Portuguese-speaking states to seize the opportunities offered by internet technologies to overcome geographical barriers. He was speaking in Macao at the close of a two-week seminar bringing together entrepreneurs and government officials from six Portuguese-speaking countries.

Renato Borges Ferreira Tomé, an analyst at Brazil’s Ministry of Development, Industry, Foreign Trade and Services, recalled that China has been Brazil’s leading trading partner since 2015. Iron ore, soya and meat account for more than half of Brazil’s exports to this market. Tomé called for sales to be diversified and for e-commerce platforms to be used to promote small businesses, high-value-added food products, textiles and footwear.

Ji also said the seventh ministerial conference of the Forum of Macao was expected to take place between April and June 2027. Scheduled for the second quarter, it will last three days; its exact dates still need to be coordinated with the agendas of the leaders of the nine participating countries and China.