Think global, think Portugal
“Portugal is Europe’s south-western extremity, washed by the Atlantic, and warmed by the Mediterranean sun. Alone among Iberia’s ancient kingdoms, it is a nation about half the size of Florida, with two-thirds the population. Yet, over centuries, it has influenced the lives of the rest of us far more than many much larger and more powerful countries.
”Martin Page in The First Global Village – How Portugal Changed the World
Portugal has a politically stable environment with a democratically elected parliamentary government and is welcoming of foreign business and investment. As with all EU countries, Portugal’s borders and ports are completely open to the free flow of trade with other EU member countries. As one of the charter members of the European Union (EU), uses the Euro currency, and follows directives from the EU Commission in Brussels.
The Portuguese market is larger than it may initially appear. There may only be 10.6 million people in Portugal, but there are well over 249.6 million people speaking Portuguese worldwide. Portuguese is the 5th most widely spoken language in the world. Former Portuguese colonies including, Macau, Mozambique, Angola (one of the fastest growing economies) and, of course Brazil (one of the BRIC countries), have close business ties with Portugal. Foreign companies can readily find avenues to these other markets through Portugal.