Geovana Pagel, special envoy*
São Paulo – The Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce is present at the 25th National Foreign Trade Meeting, which began yesterday (23), at Glória Hotel, in Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil. The stand, with an area of 16 square metres in the institutional space at the event, has as its objective the promotion of the work organized by the Chamber. It is also providing businessmen with information regarding the business opportunities in the Arab market.
The president of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Antonio Sarkis Jr, was present at the opening of the event and commemorated the great movement at the organization stand on the first day of the Enaex. "This year the Chamber made a high investment in the Enaex, and we have a great stand, there are well prepared people there, and the material is good, showing the services that the organization provides to Brazilian exporters," he explained.
While visiting the stand, businessman Antônio Fernando Bessa, the Foreign Relations and Foreign Trade director at the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (Fiesp) and a director at the Brazilian Foreign Trade Association (AEB), which promotes the Enaex, commented, on the increase of trade between Brazil and the Arab countries. "We may say that our relations with the Arab market are more and more vibrant. This is so true that minister Furlan (Development) has just returned from a mission to Algeria," he recalled.
Bessa stated that Brazil has many sectors with potential for export to the Arab market, among them agribusiness, auto parts, electronic equipment, the chemical industry, and vehicles, among others.
Edgar Cardoso da Silva, the Foreign Relations manager at Weg, a maker of electric engines, based in the city of Jaraguá do Sul, in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, explained that the company started selling to the Arab countries this year and is optimistic regarding the future. "We already export to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. It is a market with great potential and we will certainly be able to increase exports to the region in the near future," he said, on visiting the stand.
The Enaex ends tomorrow (25) and the main theme this year is "Foreign trade policy and economic opening: competitiveness as a permanent objective". There will be many talks and debates aimed at discussing some specific matters, among them the need for greater exports of services and of greater added value products.
*Translated by Mark Ament
