The first encounter of the two countries took place in 1500, with the arrival of Portuguese seaman, Pedro Álvares Cabral in Brazil. Yet it is safe to say that the relationship started in fact in 1822, when Brazil became an independent nation.
The historical dimension linking Brazil to Portugal makes it unnecessary to justify the proximity of the two. In addition to being bound to each other by a common language, the two countries have a privileged relationship, since it is in their mutual interest to reinforce trade and investment flows.
This bilateral interest keeps on getting stronger, in spite of the global economic crisis, which has not affected commercial and economic relationship between Portugal and Brazil at all. On the contrary, as a result of the connection between the two countries, we have seen some very positive numbers:
- Brazil is the seventh biggest when it comes to foreign direct investment in Portugal;
- Brazil is the fourth main destination for Portuguese direct capital investment abroad;
- Brazil has around 600 established Portuguese companies within its territory.
Notwithstanding these satisfactory data, the relationship between the two countries go far beyond trade. Student exchange is something that has been going on for centuries, and Portuguese universities are among the main destinations for Brazilian students with a scholarship. There are 2123 Brazilians, including students and researchers, only at the University of Coimbra.
Despite the geographical distance, Portugal and Brazil are very much akin. In 1906, the Portuguese living in Rio de Janeiro made up 16% of the city’s population, therefore to this day, it is considered the biggest ‘Portuguese city’ outside the frontiers of Portugal.
Sometimes the proximity between Portugal and Brazil is not very well understood by the Portuguese and the Brazilians, as a result of being prejudiced and unfamiliar with their common history. Truth be told, there is no place for misunderstanding between the two communities. In fact, the roots between Portugal and the Portuguese-speaking countries go so deep, that in 1996 the Community of Portuguese Language Speaking Countries (CPLP) was created, with the participation of Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe and Timor-Leste, as well as Portugal and Brazil.
Creating this Lusophone community clearly shows the affection and the historical heritage that exist between these fellow countries and Portugal, as well as the numerous initiatives that have been carried out. All of these accomplishments aim at the reinforcement of the traditional ties of solidarity and camaraderie, which have been present between these countries for a long time.
Taking into account the fact that Brazil is a country with high potential for Portuguese exportation, Multicargo has reinforced its outstanding partnership all over Brazil, in order to capitalize on all the opportunities this market has to offer, and to expand its business reach.
Do you want to export to Brazil? Download our free "Basic Exporter's Guide" to know what steps to take!
Rui Pinto is the COO of Multicargo, supervising all the day-to-day operations of the company and contributing to the development of new services and solutions, customized to the clients’ needs. He has been an employee of Multicargo since its establishment in 2010.
