Smart Mobility Exporter Resource Guide | Page 122

Portugal

In recent years, the automotive sector has become increasingly important in the Portuguese economy in terms of GDP. The automotive sector is responsible for almost 8.5% of Portugal’s production industry and represents 2.1% of the Portuguese economy. It employs 0.7% of the population and accounts for a total of 4.8% of the employment in the manufacturing industry. According to ACAP- Associação Automóvel de Portugal (Automobile Association of Portugal), the automotive sector in Portugal is responsible for 11% of total Portuguese exports. In 2019, the number of vehicles produced reached a total of 345 thousand, a 17,4% increase compared with the previous year, and out of which 97.3% were exported, mainly to Europe.

There are about 5.8 million registered vehicles in Portugal. In 2019, 267,828 vehicles were sold in Portugal. Most of those vehicles are passenger vehicles with a growth of 20.5% compared to 2018. Portugal has over 220 automotive supplier companies and 4 major car manufacturers—Toyota/Salvador Caetano, PSA Peugeot Citroen, Mitsubishi Trucks and Volkswagen AutoEuropa.

Since 2016 Portugal has focused on creating integrated and sustainable mobility systems in major urban areas to reduce Co2 emissions. In January 2016, Lisbon became a pilot city, jointly with Milan and London for the Sharing Cities Project, with the aim to implement replicable urban digital solutions and collaboration models. The project objectives in Lisbon downtown included, among many others, introducing new modes of electric mobility services and an urban sharing platform directed to citizens. This initiated the engagement and total commitment of municipality and public and private entities, across various sectors as well as universities. Improvements and adjustments made under the program led Lisbon to be nominated in European Green Capital 2020.

In 2018 Lisbon launched a number of programs to reduce the CO2 emissions in the city and implemented the car and micro mobility sharing programs. Traffic lights became 100% LED (translating to a reduction of CO2 emissions by 1521 tons per year). In 2018 Lisbon had more than 600 electric bicycles, 81 charging stations and 90 Km of bike lanes, these numbers have more than doubled in the past two years. The municipality of Lisbon created the MOBI.E program that links all users, operators and manufacturers across all mobility segments.

Summary

U.S. Exporters seeking to sell products in the European Union and its member states must undergo a thorough assessment of, and ensure compliance with, existing European Commission Directives, i.e. regulatory requirements regarding technical specifications, product safety, as well as environmental impact & footprint. In addition to compliance with the legal requirements of an EU member state as well as relevant EC/UNECE directives and regulations, U.S. exporters are advised to asses and obtain evidence of compliance with relevant technical norms and standards via an accredited testing &

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