Inaugural Zhuhai-Hengqin-Macao Joint Investment Promotion in Portuguese-speaking Countries Assisting the Greater Bay Area Enterprises in Expanding into the Brazilian Market

MACAU, April 22 - The People’s Government of Zhuhai Municipality, the Executive Committee of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Co-operation Zone in Hengqin, and the Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) of the Macao Special Administrative Region jointly organised the “China (Zhuhai, Hengqin, Macao) - Brazil (Sao Paulo) Economic and Trade Exchange Seminar” in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on 16 April. This was the first collaborative economic and trade event among Zhuhai, Hengqin, and Macao in a Portuguese-speaking country (PSC), attracting the participation of more than 180 Chinese and Brazilian government and business delegates. The event highlighted the economic and trade strengths as well as industrial exchanges of these three regions, culminating in the signing of two co-operation agreements and four strategic co-operation agreements. Secretary of the CPC Zhuhai Municipal Committee and Secretary of the CPC Hengqin Working Committee of the Guangdong Provincial Committee Chen Yong, Consul General of China in Sao Paulo Yu Peng, Director of the Sao Paulo Investment Promotion Agency Alessandra Andrade, representing the Mayor of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Director of the Economic Development Bureau of the Co-operation Zone Wu Chuangwei, as well as  IPIM Director Sam Lei, attended the seminar.

During the event, representatives from Zhuhai, Hengqin and Macao respectively introduced their local investment environments. In his introduction, IPIM Director Sam Lei emphasised Macao’s robust economic and trade partnerships with over 120 countries and regions, as well as the value of IPIM’s “China-PSC Business Compass” service in aiding enterprises to broaden their global market reach. Since 2024, IPIM has provided this service to over 160 enterprises, with over a third of them being Brazilian companies, involving various areas including leather procurement, agricultural product imports and new energy equipment.

Visiting Three Brazilian Cities in Five Days and Facilitating over 100 Business Matching Sessions and the Signing of Four Contracts

Capitalising on the Economic and Trade Exchange Seminar jointly organised by Zhuhai, Hengqin, and Macao, a 16-member delegation of entrepreneurs from mainland China and Macao, organised by IPIM, embarked on a five-day visit to three Brazilian cities: Sao Paulo, Cuiaba, and Manaus. During this trip, they engaged in a range of business activities, including field visits, official discussions, industry matching, corporate visits, and roadshows. This journey enabled more than 100 business talks and the signing of four co-operation agreements/MoUs, facilitating the access of Chinese goods, including large building materials, agricultural machinery, and fertilisers, into the Brazilian market. Concurrently, it facilitated the introduction of Brazil’s agricultural commodities and high-quality foods into the Chinese market, leveraging Macao’s pivotal role as a “Precise Connector” between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. This initiative also strengthened the economic and trade co-operation between China and Brazil.

Brazilian Enterprise Responded Positively to the Second C-PLPEX

To foster increased participation of enterprises from Portuguese-speaking countries in the upcoming Second China-Portuguese-Speaking Countries Economic and Trade Expo (Macao) (C-PLPEX) scheduled for this October in Macao, and to sustain the collaborative opportunities between China and PSCs in Macao, IPIM collaborated with government bodies and commercial associations from Brazil, Portugal, and Angola in organising business opportunity promotion activities across the four regions and conducted the 2^nd C-PLPEX roadshow on 17 April. These events introduced the key features and agenda of the 2^nd C-PLPEX to nearly 100 participants. According to the event organiser, Chairman of the Foreign Trade Committee of the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce in Brazil João Ribeiro da Costa, a delegation might be organised to partake in the 2^nd C-PLPEX. Many Brazilian companies also indicated their keen interest in joining the exhibition on-site, and their plans to leverage Macao’s MICE platform to expand their presence into the Mainland Chinese market. 

IPIM’s China-PSC Business Compass Assisted Enterprises in Expanding into PSC Markets

The delegation members stated that this tightly scheduled trip was efficiently executed. A delegate engaged in agricultural commodities trade highlighted that, by utilising the pre-matching service of the “China-PSC Business Compass” alongside on-site inspections and business matching sessions in Brazil, they effectively reached a co-operative intention with the Brazilian government and suppliers. Additionally, Director of the Manaus Free Trade Zone Bureau in Brazil João Saraiva expressed confidence in Macao’s position as the China-PSC Platform and IPIM’s broad network of political and business connections, which could offer robust support to Chinese companies seeking to invest in Brazil.