São Paulo – Out of all revenues from Brazilian exports to the Arab world, from January until October this year, 41% were accounted for by enterprises supported by the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex). According to a survey conducted by the Apex, the organization supported the equivalent of US$ 4.1 billion in exports to Arab countries during the period, and that is considering only medium and high value-added products. Total Brazilian exports to the region, commodities included, have reached US$ 10 billion.
In general terms, considering not only Arab countries, the Apex supported US$ 23.14 billion in exports, representing 16.4% of the country’s revenues from foreign sales from January until October. In other words, the rate of sales to the Arabs was much greater. "The Apex has a tradition of investing heavily in the Middle East," says the general manager for Business at the Apex-Brazil, Sérgio Costa, underscoring that cultural similarities between the two regions favour the flow of trade.
Another factor that contributes to the good performance of companies supported by the Apex in the Arab countries is the presence of the agency’s Business Centre in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. "Besides, Brazil has products for which there a strong demand in the Arab countries. One region complements the other," says Costa. The Apex has helped Brazilian enterprises promote their products in the region by attending fairs such as the Big 5, for construction, Arab Health, for healthcare, and image-oriented projects such as Flavours from Brazil, which consists of tastings.
The agency’s agenda of actions also included taking part in missions, such as the one promoted by the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade to the Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Kuwait and Qatar in November and December, and business roundtables, such as "Tradings do Brasil" (Trading Companies from Brazil). In the latter, the Apex took Brazilian trading companies to business meetings in Dubai early this year, and brought Arab importers to Brazil for meetings with trading companies in December. The first action generated US$ 52 million in revenues, and the second, US$ 76 million.
Costa claims that Brazilian companies are already aware of how to approach the Arab market. "They know that those who have Halal certified products are able to sell in the entire region," he explains, and claims that a work well done in one Arab country ends up making the news in other markets in the region. The Apex caters mainly to small and medium enterprises, but also to large enterprises, interested in increasing their exports.
According to a survey supplied by the Apex to ANBA, the Arab country that imported the most from enterprises supported by the agency was Saudi Arabia, at US$ 1.05 billion. The second one was Egypt, at US$ 730 million, the third one wes the Emirates, at US$ 555 million, the fourth was Algeria, US$ 295 million, and the fifth was Morocco, at US$ 238 million.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
