The Lula government and the Portuguese government are aligning investments with a partnership between Embraer and the Engineering Center of the European country.
At an event in Europe, President Lula and Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa argued that there is room to expand trade. See some statistics.
247 - President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his delegation in Portugal foresee an expansion of the partnership between Embraer and the Engineering and Development Center (CEiiA). Embraer's investments in Portugal, in the Portuguese Aeronautical Industry (OGMA) and in two factories in the Évora Industrial Park, reach US$500 million, having generated around 2.500 direct jobs and 7,000 indirect jobs. A contract between Embraer and the Portuguese government provides for the delivery of five KC-390 aircraft to the Portuguese Air Force.
Members of both governments participated this Monday (24) in the opening of the Portugal-Brazil Business Forum: Partnerships for Innovation, in Portugal. According to President Lula, “the Engineering and Development Center represents very well the business cooperation that we want to promote with today’s meeting: a cooperation focused on the future, technology, renewable energies, urban mobility and health”.
In the KC-390 aircraft project, the largest ever built by Embraer, the Engineering and Development Center of Portugal was responsible for the complete development of 2/3 of the aircraft's structure, which was eventually incorporated into the Portuguese Air Force. This was the most significant engineering project developed jointly between the two countries, the result of 12 years of work and more than 750 engineering hours.
The president of the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil), Jorge Viana, cited figures on trade flow between Brazil and Portugal. "During President Lula's first two terms, trade between Portugal and Brazil increased from nearly US$700 million to US$2,7 billion. Portugal's exports went from US$100 million to US$1 billion," he recalled.
“Now, the flow reached US$5,3 billion in 2022. There was growth, that's a fact. But it's largely linked to oil exports, not manufactured goods, which generate jobs on both sides. The commitment is to bring back the period of prosperity that the relationship between the countries once experienced,” he stated.
Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa stated that the agreements "reflect, from an institutional point of view, the great potential that exists and the effective willingness of institutions to work to open the door for companies to forge their own path." "I would like to thank all the Portuguese and Brazilian companies present here for their willingness to meet, to get to know each other, and to build projects together," Costa added.