Edla Lula
Reporter da Agência Brasil

Brasília – In spite of the government's efforts to get more small businesses into the export sector, a study by the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade found that 1,069 small businesses stopped exporting in 2005. A preliminary analysis of the study shows that 75% of the small businesses that stopped exporting had little experience in the sector, reports Armando Meziat, the secretary of Foreign Trade at the ministry.

Meziat says the valorization of the real against the dollar, which makes Brazilian goods more expensive abroad, was an important factor. He adds that the study found that the average value of exports by businesses that left the sector was US$20,000. However, the study also found that businessess entering the sector had average sales of US$23,000.

Translation: Allen Bennett