New Report Calls Brazil to Include More Women in Foreign Trade

A new report has been published by Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services that reveals that only 14 percent of exporting companies in 2023 in Brazil, had a majority of females among their partners. This is a figure that ApexBrasil business director Ana Paula Repezza termed ‘far too low’.

The report also mentions the trade disparities highlighting companies with majority of female ownership often come across higher international tariffs as compared to those companies which are owned by males. In addition, businesses that are owned by females encounter 6.4 percent tariffs in comparison to 5.1 percent of male-owned businesses.

Ana Paula states, “All companies that start exporting create more jobs, pay better wages, and become more resilient thanks to market diversification. But when women increase their income, they tend to reinvest more in their businesses, families, and communities. This is a powerful equation that gives rise to virtuous cycles at the company, community, and national levels. The more exporting companies there are, the stronger the country’s economy becomes. All the women-led companies we’ve worked with at ApexBrasil incorporate sustainable practices. It’s an innate concern for women entrepreneurs.”

She also underscored that international trade expansion for women-led businesses generates medium- and long-term benefits that also includes bringing better job opportunities as well as access to income for future generations.