Meetings are scheduled to begin on Tuesday at 9 am and will proceed “throughout the day,” the Ministry indicated in a schedule note.
The Ministry reminded that “the meetings of the Minister of Economy with business associations, which were initially set between Wednesday and Friday, have been moved forward to Tuesday and Wednesday.”
The Government has planned meetings with several organizations, including ANIMEE – Portuguese Association of Electrical and Electronic Sector Companies, AIP – Portuguese Industrial Association, CIP – Confederation of Portuguese Industry, APF – Portuguese Foundry Association, CEFAMOL – National Association of Mold Industry, and APIP – Portuguese Association of Plastics Industries.
Additionally, the associations to be engaged include APIB – Portuguese Association of Rubber Industries, APIMA – Portuguese Association of Furniture and Related Industries, AIMMP – Portuguese Association of Woodworking and Furniture Industries, APPICAPS – Portuguese Association of Manufacturers of Footwear, Components, Leather Goods, and Substitutes, and APIC – Portuguese Association of the Tanning Industry.
Also, the Government’s list features ATP – Textile and Clothing Association of Portugal, ANIVEC – National Association of Clothing and Apparel Industries, ANITLAR – National Association of Home Textile Industries, ANIL – National Association of Wool Industrialists, APCOR – Portuguese Cork Association, AEP – Portuguese Business Association, and AQuimica.
Last week, it was noted by the Ministry that the Minister of Economy, Pedro Reis, and the Secretary of State for the Economy, João Rui Ferreira, had scheduled a series of meetings with business associations for this week “to assess the impact and mitigation measures of tariffs announced by the United States administration on Portuguese companies and the national economy.”
The goal, according to a statement at the time, is “to open a dialogue channel with sectors most affected by the ‘reciprocal tariffs’ model,” specifically the automotive, fuels, rubber, electrical and electronic sectors, metallurgy and metalworking, wood and furniture, cork, footwear, leather, textiles and apparel, home textiles and woolens, in addition to the employer associations AIP, CIP, and AEP.
“The aim is to listen to the representative associations of companies in these economic activities regarding their assessment of the impact of the new customs taxes on European products,” stated the Ministry of Economy.
Simultaneously, the executive seeks to hear “the proposals they have to mitigate and minimize this impact on national exports.”
In bilateral meetings with the associations, the Ministry of Economy expressed its intention to share what is being “coordinated with the European Union to respond to the new tariffs and the protective measures being designed for different sectors of activity.”
Donald Trump announced on Wednesday new U.S. tariffs of 20% on imported European Union products, in addition to the 25% tariffs on the automotive, steel, and aluminum sectors.
The new tariffs imposed by Trump aim to boost the U.S. industry while penalizing countries deemed to have engaged in years of unfair trade practices.
The new tariffs apply to all imports, with additional surcharges on countries considered particularly hostile to trade.
Global markets have been experiencing sharp declines since last week due to these tariffs.
