Peruvian exports have been growing since August 2016, surpassing US$30 billion in the first nine months of President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski's administration, the Foreign Trade and Tourism Ministry informed on Tuesday.
Minister Eduardo Ferreyros projected figures at more than US$40 billion by the end of 2017; that is, a 19.3% rise over the previous year.
The Foreign Trade Chief also recalled the Inca nation's 2016
trade surplus, which peaked at US$1.1 billion last December.
In this context, he referred to a coming package of export-boosting measures, precisely aimed at maintaining the sector's upward trend.
"We do not want to see exports fall —especially
non-traditional ones— so we are launching this trade-facilitation package to cut logistics and customs costs, as well as proceedings […]," Ferreyros pointed out.
"At the very least, we want to double non-traditional exports by 2021, and these measures are part of efforts to reach that goal," he explained.
Special economic zones
On the other hand, the cabinet member mentioned a bill on special economic zones, which he hopes will be passed this year.
In this sense, Ferreyros noted the idea is to have powerful special economic zones to attract "the most important foreign companies," which can contribute to the development of an added-value export industry.
Remarks were made during a seminar on foreign trade and tourism organized by private-run Foreign Trade Society (ComexPeru).
(END) MDV/JJN/DHT/MVB