Portuguese exports soared to 42.3 billion euros in 2011, up 15.1% over the previous year, mainly driven by 11 national champions: Repsol Polymers, VW AutoEuropa, Lactogal, Polopique, Nestlé Portugal, Sovena, Galp, Faurecia, Riopele, Fisipe and Peugeot Citroen. Of this total 31.3 billion euros worth were sold within the European Community with the rest mainly going to emerging markets. Portuguese entrepreneurs, encouraged by the domestic trade and investment agency, are actively seeking markets with strong economic growth potential among which Brazil, India, China, Mexico, South Africa. A break-down shows exports rose 5.9% to the EU and 37.9% to the rest of the world This stellar performance at a time of global economic constraints, made a "strong positive contribution to GDP growth" in 2011 – and partially helped mitigate a deep domestic recession. Furthermore and for the first time in more than a decade, Portuguese exports overtook imports resulting in a welcome positive trade balance. Antonio Saraiva, president of CIP, the Portuguese industry confederation, has called for “precisely aligned economic policies” to aid cross border development. He wants "new mechanisms to help companies," because without adequate funding “more firms will shut and more jobs be lost, at a time of historically high unemployment levels - 15% according to Eurostat. The star performers include: Repsol Polymers whose spokesman, Victor Antonio Martins said 2011 turnover "was higher than in 2010, mainly because oil prices rose, while exports accounted for some 85% of all production". Almost half of all exports went to Spain, the parent company’s homebase.  VW AutoEuropa is the nation’s second largest exporter. In 2011 the vehicle maker produced 133,100 units, the best performance in a decade. Sales rose 36% against 2010 to 2,246 million euros. The labour force expanded by 21% to 3,603. Some 98.9% of production was exported mainly to Germany, China and the UK. The dairy producer Lactogal owned by Agros, Pro-Milk and Lacticoop, trades through brands such as Mimosa. The group processes 820 million litres of milk a year, 46% of national total. Sales exceeded 682 million euros in 2010 with some 14% of total turnover exported mainly to neighbouring Spain. Polopique -- one of the three largest Portuguese textile exporters – sent 99.8% of production abroad reporting a total 71.5 million euros in sales in 2011, 6% up over the previous year. Spain is its main market and the Inditex group (Zara) is one of it key customers. It directly employs 150 but via subcontracting is indirectly responsible for more 2000 posts.  Nestlé Portugal’s exports in 2011 rose 27.3% y-o-y to 80 million euros with 80% sold to group affiliates worldwide. The company runs four plants in Portugal. Its grain factory in Avanca, Aveiro exported 51% of production to Spain, France, Angola and other Portuguese-speaking countries, Italy, Belgium, Romania and Bulgaria.  Sovena exports some 75% of output to more than 70 countries worldwide. Sovena, a 100% Portuguese-held firms says cross border operations account for 75% of turnover. Sovena has factories and offices in Spain, USA, Morocco, Tunisia, Angola and Brazil. Its flagship Oliveira da Serra brand of olive oil reported growth exceeding 30% in 2011 and sales have been diversified from the initial "nostalgia market" and the Portuguese speaking world, to include Russia, India and China. Galp, the oil major was Portugal’s largest exporter in 2011 with sales worth 2.4 billion euros. This followed a 4 billion euro investment to convert its Sines and Matosinhos refineries. It exports to more than 30 different countries offsetting a recent significant contraction in consumption in the Iberian market. Faurecia, the French car parts maker, is Portugal’s 10th largest exporter. Faurecia’s Braganca unit exported virtually its entire production of exhaust systems worth 314,667 million euros in 2011.The group has seven factories and a 603-million-euro-turnover in 2010. Its main national client is VW AutoEuropa.  Riopele which specializes in fashion fabrics, is a major domestic textile producer and exported 97% of 2011 turnover of 56 million euros to Europe . Riopele also has a strong presence in the U.S. and Japan. Exports account for more than 96% of sales at Fisipe which makes acrylic fibres. The firm reported a turnover of 127 million euros in 2011 up 15% y-o-y. Currently it exports to 43 countries with key customers in the Americas, Europe and China. Peugeot Citroën (PSA) at Viseu (north) exports 97% of all production. In 2011 it produced 50,290 Citroën Berlingo and Peugeot Partner vehicles for a reported turnover of 400 million euros.

Sonaecom – a subsidiary of Sonae SGPS Portugal’s most successful industrial conglomerate – plans to boost turnover by 12% in 2012 via international sales.

Brisa (toll motorway concession holder) and CCR - Companhia de Concessões Rodoviárias, a Brazilian holding company with interests in that country’s private interstate highway concessions, have signed a joint agreement aimed at a possible buy-out of ANA - Aeroportos de Portugal S.A, the national airport authority. This is due for privatisation before year end. Their partnership follows the collapse of an earlier Brisa-led consortium that involved several key public works and civil construction firms backed by CGD-Caixa Geral de Depósitos (largest state-owned bank). The sale of ANA is part of a global government privatisation programme expected to raise an amount equivalent to 3% of GDP or 4,000 million euros in 2012. This in turn will help sustain austerity measures aimed at cutting a budget deficit and at the same time bring an end to ongoing state intervention in major enterprises. Government launched its ambitious privatisation initiative in exchange for 'bailout' funds from a 'troika' of international lenders. The programme includes the sale of 21.35% in EDP -Energias de Portugal to China Three Gorges (CTG), the sale of 40% of REN- Redes Energéticas Nacionais, the national power grid, to China State Grid (25%) and Oman Oil (15%). The disposal by year end, of the national airline TAP-Air Portugal, CP-Carga, the railway freight operator, and CTT-Correios de Portugal, the general post office along with a majority stake in the health and insurance 'holding' subsidiary of state-owned Caixa Geral de Depósitos.