Peruvian Foreign Trade and Tourism Minister Eduardo Ferreyros on Saturday highlighted his portfolio's positive performance and major role in the Inca country's economic development.
Exports
One year into President Kuczynski's administration, the government official highlighted Peruvian exports are
bouncing back from a 3-year downturn.
In this sense, Minister Ferreyros underlined exports reached US$19.657 billion in the first half of 2017, a 25% increase over the same period the year before.
Said result was driven by greater shipments of traditional (33.2%) and non-traditional (7%) products.
"The rise in exports —in the first six months of 2017— was fueled by fisheries [traditional goods like
fishmeal and non-traditional ones like giant squid], agro-industrial businesses [grapes, blueberries, avocados, among others] and mineral exports [
copper and zinc]," he informed.
Negotiations
On the other hand, Ferreyros referred to the Ministry's crucial role in the trade negotiation agenda.
In this respect, he emphasized its sole objective is to open up more markets for national products and, above all, for added-value ones like the
Superfoods Peru.
"We carry on with the trade opening State policy. We have thus started trade negotiations with
Australia and India. Likewise, we have brought into force the Peru-Honduras FTA […]," the Foreign Trade head pointed out.
Tourism
Last but not least, Ferreyros underscored tourism promotion efforts based on the Andean nation's countless attractions in terms of culture, biodiversity and gastronomy.
"The government seeks to double tourist inflow to reach 7 million by 2021. That is one of our goals and we are thus working to attract visitors from key markets like China," he affirmed.
The Foreign Trade and Tourism portfolio chief also addressed efforts to increase domestic tourism, like the implementation of inter-regional air connection between Cusco and La Libertad, as well as the Lima-Chachapoyas and Lima-Jaen routes.
(END) DHT/RMB/MVB