São Paulo – The APAS Show supermarket trade fair comes to a close on Thursday (21) in São Paulo after four days of intense activity at the space where the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) organized the participation of 21 companies from Arab countries. Results included deals already closed, advanced talks with prospects for near-term sales, and many promising contacts.
“The trade fair was very good for us. It was incredible. It exceeded our expectations,” said Sales Director Feras Al-Rifai, who showcased the Syrian chocolate brands Rollana and Alvido at the ABCC’s space. Al-Rifai says a deal has already been closed and other agreements are expected to be finalized. After making some adjustments and obtaining the necessary approvals, the chocolates will begin to be shipped to Brazil.
According to Al-Rifai, the company received clients from Brazil and across Latin America and had serious inquiries from Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia and Peru. He says buyers liked the flavor, texture, packaging and color of the products. “When negotiations reach the pricing stage, they are surprised. Our prices are very competitive, and there is a very good margin for importers to make a profit,” he said.
Tunisian company Nouri, which exhibited dates at the ABCC’s space at APAS Show, reached the final day of the trade fair with advanced talks underway with new clients. The company has been exporting to Brazil since 2016. “We’re growing—year after year we’re increasing our volumes,” said Nouri Export Manager Mohamed Amine Boumaiza about sales to Brazil, where the company has eight clients.
“This trade fair is always good, always a great place to meet our team, our agents and our clients, and to meet new people. Visitors come from Uruguay, Argentina and Chile, not only from Brazil. This is a very important exhibition for us,” he said. A total of 16 Tunisian companies are exhibiting at the fair in an initiative by the Tunisian Export Promotion Center (Cepex) and the Tunisian Embassy in Brazil.
“This trade fair is always good, always a great place to meet our team, our agents and our clients, and to meet new people. Visitors come from Uruguay, Argentina and Chile, not only from Brazil. This is a very important exhibition for us,” he said. A total of 16 Tunisian companies are exhibiting at the fair in an initiative by the Tunisian Export Promotion Center (Cepex) and the Tunisian Embassy in Brazil.
Companies from Tunisia, Syria and Egypt took part in the spaces organized by the ABCC, showcasing products such as olive oils, dates, chocolate, frozen vegetables and frozen fruits, among others. “We’re satisfied with the number of people, visits and connections being made. We can see that the public is interested, talking, negotiating and trying to advance relationships, which is our main goal,” ABCC President William Adib Dib Jr. told ANBA.
The ABCC had two spaces for the companies, positioned opposite each other, a setup celebrated by the institution’s vice president of international relations and secretary-general, Mohamad Orra Mourad. “This greatly helped our logistics and also improved our service, assistance and support for exhibitors. The internal spaces were also larger, which helped showcase the products better, making them more visible and attracting attention,” he said.
Mourad said companies were satisfied with the quality of the contacts made at the fair. “We had Egypt, focused mainly on frozen products. They already have a market here in Brazil that is consolidating and growing. Tunisia, with dates and olive oil, also already has penetration in Brazil. We cannot forget that Tunisia is the largest supplier of dates to Brazil, and this trend is expected to continue growing,” he said. He also highlighted the presence of Syrian chocolates at the trade fair. “Syria has a well-established industry in this segment, but it is still little known to Brazilian consumers,” he said, celebrating the country’s participation in the event.
According to Dib, the ABCC will once again take part in the next APAS Show, in 2027. “With a larger space, greater variety, more countries and more products,” he promised. On Thursday, the ABCC’s space was visited by other leaders from the institution, including Vice President of Foreign Trade Daniel Hannun. Bahrain Ambassador to Brazil Bader Abbas Alhelaibi was also present. The trade fair featured 900 exhibitors from 24 countries, and organizers expected to welcome 150,000 buyers.
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Translated by Guilherme Miranda
