São Paulo – Ten Arab importers are in Brazil to participate in the Cup Project, promoted by the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex), which brought businessmen to do business in the country and watch the matches of the Confederations Cup, which are taking place in six capitals. The roundtables with the Arabs took place on Monday (17) and Tuesday (18), at the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce offices, in São Paulo.
Focussed on the building, furniture and food sectors, the companies are from countries like the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Jordan. On the two days of negotiations, they will talk to some 60 Brazilian companies.
Established 20 years ago, Pan Emirates has five shops in the Emirates, one in Oman and one in Qatar, and is about to open one in Saudi Arabia. “We already import complete sets of wooden bedroom furniture, bookshelves, racks and upholstered furniture from Brazil. We initially came to seek the same kinds of furniture, but we are also seeking new suppliers, mainly of upholstered and bedroom furniture,” said the Portuguese Zeferino Silva, the company representative.
“We are seeking Brazilian furniture due to its quality. It is a differential for our shop to have this kind of product made in Brazil, to offer a kind of different furniture from that of our clients,” said Silva, explaining that 85% of the furniture imported by the brand comes from Asia.
Trading company Crystal Building Materials, from Abu Dhabi, in turn, is participating in the roundtables seeking suppliers of building material, like marble, paint, granite, tiles and sanitary ware.
“Brazil has very good quality when compared to other countries. Brazilian products have the same quality as those of Europe, and the prices are often better,” said Omar Bayousuf, the company general director. One of the national companies with which Bayousuf spoke was Renner Herrmann, a maker of paints. “I hope we can do good business with them,” said the executive.
“This contact with people is being very advantageous and the business possibilities that may result from these talks,” evaluated Jorge Gustavo Azpiroz, sales manager at Renner. “We notice much interest in the building area, that is, in paint for construction sites,” said the executive. Headquartered in Curitiba, the company produces several kinds of paints, both for civil construction and for industrial use, like that used in oil platform painting.
Timber Yard, in Dubai, works with the supply of wood, ceramic tiles, kitchen cupboards and other building material throughout the Middle East. “The Brazilian quality is very good, almost the same as that of the European market,” said Ahmed Kadori, the company manager, regarding his interest in negotiating with the country.
Apis Vida, a company that produces honey, propolis and their products, from Bebedouro, in the interior of São Paulo, already exports to markets like the United States, China and countries in Central America. “The company is now focussed on entering the Arab world,” said Carolina Moretto, Marketing manager. Among the food produced by the company are traditional honeys, organics and composite extracts and natural food.
Eyeing the Arab market, industry is getting ready to adapt its products to the requirements of the countries of the region. “There is much attention and company dedication to preparation of a portfolio to understand the needs and customise the products for the Arab market. We are also going to see their needs and demands,” she finished off.
*Translated by Mark Ament
