In a very unstable global commercial environment, Greek exporters raise their voice, demanding substantial support, better organization and a targeted national strategy to strengthen the export.
The ongoing trade war worldwide, coupled with the ongoing geopolitical and economic upheavals, highlights the timeless weaknesses in drawing a national export strategy. “There are reactions from Greek exporters,” said the President of the Panhellenic Association of Exporters (PSEs) and Crete Exporters Association (SEK), Alcibiades Kalambokis at the Greek Export Conference yesterday.
He referred to the importance of ESG, who is, he said, “in his final transformation”, while noting that “there are still some things that need to be improved immediately.”
In collaboration with the Executive Vice -President of the SEVE – Exporters Association, Panagiotis Hassapi, Mr. Kalambokis sent a letter with a request for funding of 30,000 to 50,000 euros in order to integrate educational activities and improve the relevant guide.
“There is no program that gives something to exporters,” Mr. Hassapis told the conference, saying that neither in the development nor the NSRF provides money to businesses to promote the exports of their products.
“It would be a good idea to have a single export support network that would include Enterprise Greece, exporters and other exporting bodies,” he proposed so that they could all work together and not separately. “We are in favor of cooperation,” he said.
“The system needs a lot of improvements”, in the view of EBEA’s export chairman Bsham Azar, who emphasized the need for exports outside the European Union (EU).
Two -thirds of exports, according to him, are directed within the EU, with only about 30% of markets outside Europe. “In Asia and the Middle East the Greek presence is almost non -existent – we have to turn there too,” he said, urging the government and the state to take action.
For the study of a five -year period, drawn up every two years on the Greek export presence, the General Adviser for Economic and Commercial Affairs (OSE), Sarantis Moschovis, spoke at the Conference. The study includes analyzes for tariff barriers, competitiveness indicators and suggestions.
Based on economic and not political expediency, the ten major markets for exports of Greek products include countries such as Germany, USA, Italy, China and the United Arab Emirates.
On the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Adviser to the Office of the Secretary General of International Economic Relations and Extraversion, Christina Argyropoulou, assured that “we are sharing the same passion as export operators and trying to respond to these conditions in the best possible way”. However, “it is not enough for either passion or kindness – also needed resources and training.”
This is the first strategy proposed by Mrs Argyropoulou, with the second being “the optimal utilization of available resources through targeted actions”.
As Mrs Argyropoulou said, “many times it takes a way rather than effort”, urging businesses to exploit the free services of the Economic and Commercial Affairs Offices (OSS).
Therefore, Greece has the potential to improve its export activities, but coordinated action, political will and horizon strategy is required.