The participation of imported products in Brazil’s consumption rose to 21.8 percent in the second quarter of the year. Figures were released on Thursday (Aug 14) by the National Industry Confederation (“CNI”). They indicate that the share of foreign products grew 1.2 percentage points compared to the same period in 2013. It is the most significant expansion since 2007.

Renato Fonseca, head of CNI's Unit for Research and Competitiveness, said that the imports remain under the spotlight in the Brazilian market. The foreign market, however, is not being prioritized by Brazilian companies. In his view, statistics confirm the lack of competitiveness of the national industry, which, besides the difficulty of exporting its industrialized products, has to face competition from foreign goods in its domestic market.