The objective of this research is to evaluate the perceptions of different trading firms about the quality of the logistics infrastructure for the foreign trade. Based on the literature review, the major dimensions regarding these firms were defined and operationalized: type of load (container or bulk) and criticality of port operation. A survey was conducted with the 250 largest Brazilian firms ranked at the AEB list (Brazilian Foreign Trade Firms Association). Based on the 101 questionnaires returned, it was identified that the bulk traders tend to consider the access to ports a bigger logistical shortcoming than the container traders. With regard to the criticality of port operation, firms of the intermediate goods industry perceive the decay of the physical infrastructure and the foreign trade bureaucracy as a consequence of their limited production capacity
Foreign trade firms; quality; infrastructure; logistics
