The SC- Export leaves for Paraguay this Tuesday (31). The Government of the State of Santa Catarina and the University of Itajaí Valley ( Univali ), partners in the execution of the project, will accompany the 18 companies in the food, machinery and equipment sector in the international mission that aims to boost foreign trade for micro and small businesses of Santa Catarina companies.

The business mission’s schedule includes visits to the National Institute of Food and Nutrition, National Institute of Technology, Standardization and Metrology, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, as well as technical meetings and meetings with potential Paraguayan buyers. SC- Export is sponsored by Portonave and has the support of the University of the West of Santa Catarina (Unoesc), the University of the Far South of Santa Catarina ( Unesc ) and the University of Blumenau ( Furb ).

The Foreign Affairs Secretariat works in the process and support, not only for the installation of large companies in the State, but also for small and micro-entrepreneurs. “This project implements an innovation in public policy to increase the number of exporters from Santa Catarina, an important focus of Governor Jorginho Mello and Vice-Governor Marilisa Boehm. For the first time during SC- Export , these entrepreneurs are having the opportunity to expand their business with this project, which is a partnership between the State Government, through SAI and SICOS, Univali and Portonave . We had enormous success in the mission to Chile and now it will be the turn of these entrepreneurs to showcase their products, with international quality, to close even more deals”, stated the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Juliano Froehner.

According to professor Giselda Cherem, responsible for extension projects at the Univali Business School, SC- Export ‘s first business mission to Chile, last week, was a success. “We managed to hold 150 meetings simultaneously for 24 companies with 35 Chilean buyers. The objective was to strengthen ties between the two markets, however two companies have already returned from Chile with negotiations concluded and orders closed. We have excellent expectations for the mission in Paraguay and are very happy to be able to use the expertise we already have at Univali to help businesspeople prospect international buyers and increase the export of micro and small companies from Santa Catarina.”

The individual microentrepreneur manager at SICOS, Laryssa Schmitz, informed that Brazil already has the National Statute for Microenterprises and Small Businesses, legislation that allows for a different regime to simplify exports. “Still, there is a huge challenge to be overcome, as many companies are not aware of this possibility, in addition to not having strategic planning. SC- Export was born precisely to broaden the horizons of companies interested in exporting”.

The delegation of the mission to Paraguay will have representatives from Univali , the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs of Santa Catarina (SAI), the Secretariat of Industry, Commerce and Services (SICOS) and companies from the municipalities of Joinville, Penha, Itajaí, Barra Velha, Navegantes, Jaraguá do Sul, Ouro, Iporã do Oeste, Nova Veneza, São Miguel do Oeste, Blumenau, Schroeder, Balneário Camboriú, Corupá and Rio Negrinho.

With information: Univali