United States Department of State

Portugal United States Department of State

The Government of Portugal recognizes the value of foreign direct investment (FDI) and sees such investment as an important engine of economic growth. After two and half years of recession, Portugal has started to show signs of growth beginning in the second quarter of 2013, and registered actual 0.9 percent growth in 2014. The country exited its three-year EU-IMF bailout program in May 2014, and has successfully regained access to international bond markets with yields approaching historic lows. The Portuguese Agency for Foreign Investment and Commerce (AICEP) is the lead agency for promotion of trade and investment. AICEP is responsible for the promotion of global Portuguese trademarks, the export of goods and services, and attraction of foreign direct investment (FDI). It is the point of contact for investors with projects of more than EUR 25 million or companies with a consolidated turnover of more than EUR 75 million. For foreign investments not meeting these thresholds, AICEP will make a preliminary analysis and direct the investor to assistance agencies such as the Institute of Support to Small- and Medium Sized Enterprises and Innovation (IAPMEI), a public agency within the Ministry of Economy that provides technical support, or to AICEP Capital Global, which offers technology transfer, incubator programs and venture capital support.