São Paulo – Anufood Brazil, the food and beverage industry show, began this Tuesday (12) in São Paulo. Arab companies Dukan, Number 8, Al Tahaluf Food Stuff & Trading, Qatar Meat and Vortex BG are at the show. Executives from these five importing businesses sat down for their first day of B2B sessions, which will continue at the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce stand each day from 5 pm to 7 pm.
The UAE-based Number 8 is seeking out beef. “I believe in the Brazilian market. They (Brazilian businesses) have the opportunity to become more international, to go out more and show their product. Brazil must be first. They need more,” said the company’s owner Samir Moussalem, according to whom items from Brazil can be found in much greater number in his country now than a few years ago. Moussalem hopes to see his deals in Brazil increase this year, although he refrained from disclosing figures.
Also in attendance is Saudi Arabia’s Vortex GB, which provides consulting and support to importers in several countries. “We work with countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Egypt, providing guidance on markets,” explained trader Feras Rifai. The primary focus is on products including poultry and beef, chocolate and drinks. Rifai has been working on getting Brazilians and Arabs businesspersons together since 2016.
On the opening day of the expo, Rifai says he made good contacts. “I’ve been to six meetings, and three of them were very good. They involved chocolate deals,” he said. “This is perfect to me. Here you can get to know serious companies, and they can learn about our market,” he argued. Rifai believes chocolate is a good choice for Brazilian businesses to supply. “The main competitor is Turkey, and never mind the distance, Brazil can compete very well with pricing and quality,” he said.
Another action occurring at the Arab Brazilian Chamber’s stand is a tasting session with typical Arab dishes. The idea is to present a little bit of what different Arab regions have to offer, including Gulf, Levant, and North Africa. This Tuesday (12), the food served was by the UAE, in the second day of the show it will be time for Jordanian food, and lastly an Egyptian dish. Overall, 200 servings will be offered daily.
Also in the Arab Brazilian Chamber’s stand, the company Egyptian Export Center HB is an exhibitor. The company produces and exports dates and tries to enter Brazil market. “There is still a lot to explore. Many Brazilians don’t know [dates]. This has pros and cons, because we will have to advertise the product, but it is also an opportunity to present a new product that (most Brazilians) have never even seen,” said Yasser Farid, trader that works with Egyptian Export in Brazil. The company aims to start exporting one or two dispatches per month, with 20 tons of dates each.
Another company present at the event, but with its own stand, is Herbs Egypt. “Brazil is a great market. We hope to increase our market share in 2019,” said Rabie Abbas, manager of the company. Abbas’ expectation is that the event, which is in its first year, may yield good businesses.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda & Gabriel Pomerancblum
