Isaura Daniel*
São Paulo – Products manufactured in Brazil started being showcased to the Sudanese market yesterday (24) at the 24th Khartoum International Fair, currently taking place in the Sudanese capital. The Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce has a 32-square-metre stand at the Fair, where it is going to introduce visitors to Brazilian products such as auto parts, foodstuffs, jewellery, agricultural products, engines and furniture. The Fair was inaugurated yesterday in the late afternoon by Sudanese president Omar Hassan Al Bashir, and will continue until February 2nd.
The organization took to the Fair catalogues of national companies interested in entering the Sudanese market. Those include Latina Brazil and DC Autopeças, for auto parts, Petersen, for propolis and honey, Sandra May Jóias, for jewellery, Belloto, for agricultural tools, Gehaka, for agricultural equipment and machinery, Weg, for electric motors, Itatiaia and Imcal, for furniture, and Precicast Br, for foundry. Yesterday, the Fair opened only to authorities, associations and guests.
Nevertheless, the Arab Brazilian Chamber stand was already visited by importers interested in Brazilian products, as well as by exporters. A representative of Sudanese company Horizon Oil & Gas, for instance, came to the stand looking for auto parts, and a representative of Egyptian company NG sought information about selling glass containers to Brazil. The information was disclosed by the operations manager at the Chamber, Rodrigo Solano, who is at the Fair along with market development analyst Jean Gonçalves da Silva.
Today, the Fair will be open to the general public as well. According to Solano, there are opportunities for Brazilian companies in Sudan, especially in the construction material and agricultural machinery sectors. There is also a lot of interest surrounding the joint development of ethanol-related projects. "There is market for everything, because the country is undergoing a phase of intense development," said the operations manager. The local industry does not have much variety, but the country has vast natural resources, and is one of the economies that grow the most in Africa.
Most countries have already realized that there is a market for imported products in Sudan. Proof of that is the fact that there are several foreign stands in the 24th Khartoum International Fair. Countries such as the United Arab Emirates, China, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia are showcasing their products at the Fair. The Emirates, for instance, which is a prominent re-exporter, is showcasing at its stand products ranging from tiles to piping, paints and even taps. The Egyptian stand features refrigerators, machinery for the construction industry, tomato extract and glasses, among other products.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
