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HIS contribution reduced recession by at
least one percentage point. THIS perform-
ance made it possible to preserve thou-
sands of jobs. THIS was the outlet that “triggered”
the creation, or shift toward exports, of almost 2,000
enterprises during the last two years.
THIS was “a silver lining in a dark sky”, to quote
the President of the Republic, Mr. Carolos
Papoulias. THIS was a “medal” of satisfaction
–for us Exporters–, a sense of pride in our perse-
verance and resilience in the face of current diffi-
culties.
The extroversion record we achieved in 2011
WAS all the above, but IT IS also much more.
Apart from being a message of optimism, IT IS a
guide for the Greek economy's recovery and sus-
tainable growth. IT IS a clear indication that the
country's export model is indeed being trans-
formed, streamlined and improved, favouring
products that incorporate technology, know-how
and, therefore, priceless added value.
IT IS proof that traditional Greek products go
hand in hand with new, innovative products that
incorporate advanced know-how and technology.
IT IS a guarantee of the global real economy's
confidence in Greek production.
Recent research by the PSE and the Export
Research Centre (KEEM) showed that technolo-
gy-intensive exports grew by a spectacular rate,
more than double than that of total exports
(+13.3%) –actually by a factor of 14 (whereas
total exports just more-than-trebled)–, rising from
6% of total exports in 1988 to 23% in 2010. These
figures show which export policy path Greece
must follow in the future.
The achievements of Greek exporters during the
past two-years constitute a legacy of national
responsibility. They corroborated Aldus Huxley's
quote that “Every ceiling, when reached,
becomes a floor”.
Given the wide social and political consensus that
exists in regard to the importance and value of
Trade with Greece
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In 2011, Greece and Greek Exporters hit a historic
record in extroversion. For the first time in history,
Greek exports exceeded 22.4 billion euros or 30 billion
USD. For the first time since 2000, Greek product
exports accounted for more than 10% of GDP (10.3%).
Extroversion was, is
and shall be a
promising option
By Christina Sakellaridi,
President of the Panhellenic Exporters Association (PSE)