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Peña promotes Paraguay as investment destination at meeting with Brazilian business leaders

We met with business leaders who already invest in Paraguay and want to expand, but also with new players who see a concrete opportunity in our country,” Peña said

Paraguay's President Santiago Peña met on Sunday in Campo Grande, the capital of Brazil's Mato Grosso do Sul state, with business leaders from the state's Federation of Industries (FIEMS) to promote investment opportunities in his country. The meeting, organized at the association's request, brought together representatives from sectors including bioenergy, food, construction and logistics.

“We met with business leaders who already invest in Paraguay and want to expand, but also with new players who see a concrete opportunity in our country,” Peña said in a statement. He described Paraguay as “a serious, predictable partner, open to the world,” and highlighted macroeconomic stability and predictable rules as key factors for attracting foreign capital.

Mato Grosso do Sul shares an extensive border with Paraguay, making the two territories natural partners in trade and productive integration. FIEMS president Sérgio Longen praised the legal certainty offered by the neighbouring country and called for deeper integration. “More than ever, we are integrating our national industry with Paraguay's industry; together we produce what Brazil consumes today,” he said.

The visit is part of a broader strategy by Peña to position Paraguay as a competitive investment destination. According to a recent Bloomberg profile, residency applications in Paraguay rose 60% in 2025, driven by attractive tax policy and growth in maquila-regime exports. The country secured investment-grade ratings from two credit agencies, a milestone that has raised its profile in international markets.

Peña is in Campo Grande to attend the opening of the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (COP15), which will run from March 23 to 29. The Paraguayan president took part on Sunday in the event's high-level segment alongside Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

On the sidelines of the COP15, the two leaders held a bilateral meeting focused on progress in the renegotiation of Annex C of the Itaipú treaty, as reported by EFE. Foreign ministers from both countries had indicated the meeting would address this issue in particular, which governs the financial terms of the hydroelectric dam and the sale of Paraguay's energy surplus. Diplomatic sources indicate the parties have reached a preliminary agreement that would allow Paraguay to sell its surplus energy freely on the Brazilian market, including the unregulated segment — a longstanding demand from Asunción.

The Itaipú dam, with an installed capacity of 14,000 megawatts, covers approximately 86% of Paraguay's electricity market and 9% of Brazil's.CompartirContenido del proyectoMercoPressCreado por tiAgrega PDF, documentos u otro texto para consultar en este proyecto.