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O setor é difícil, na medida em que é muito competitivo.

O setor é difícil, na medida em que é muito competitivo.
The sector is difficult, in that it is very competitive.
From Lesson 343:Formal causes and reasons (na medida em que, uma vez que)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about O setor é difícil, na medida em que é muito competitivo.

How exactly does na medida em que work here compared to a simple word like porque?
While porque gives a direct reason, na medida em que is a more formal, argumentative connector. It translates well to "insofar as" or "in that." It explains how or to what extent the first statement is true: the sector is difficult specifically in the aspect of its competitiveness.
Does na medida em que trigger the subjunctive mood for the verb that follows?
No, it takes the indicative mood. Because you are stating an established fact to back up your argument (the sector actually é very competitive), you use the standard present indicative.
Could I use uma vez que instead of na medida em que in this sentence?
Yes, you could say uma vez que é muito competitivo ("since it is very competitive"). Both are formal causal connectors. However, uma vez que simply establishes a cause ("given that"), whereas na medida em que limits the reason to a specific dimension ("in that").
I have sometimes seen the word spelled as sector. Is setor without a 'c' the correct spelling in Portugal?
Yes. Under the modern Portuguese spelling agreement, silent consonants were dropped. Since the 'c' is not pronounced by most speakers in Portugal, the standard spelling is now setor.

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