Isaura Daniel*
isaura.daniel@anba.com.br
São Paulo – A delegation of seven Arab businessmen should be in the country late this month to learn more about the local food production. The group, to come from Algeria, Syria, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, and Bahrain, will have business activities in the capital of the southeastern Brazilian state of São Paulo from June 25th to 27th. The trip was organised by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, which will promote, on the 25th, business roundtables between the Arabs and Brazilian businessmen. National companies interested in participating may enrol at the Marketing Department at the Arab Brazilian Chamber (see contact information below).
The Arabs will also participate, on the 26th and 27th, in the Latin America Food Service Show (Fispal Food Service), to be held from June 25th to 28th at Expo Center Norte, in São Paulo. The businessmen from the six countries are industrialists, and also distributors in the foodstuff sector. They want to talk to companies in the fields of sugar, flavouring extracts, rice, coffee, bovine, chicken, and sheep meat, fish, tea, chocolates and cocoa products, sweets and candies, canned goods, flour, grain, dairy products, tomato paste, oil, eggs, animal feed, soft drinks, juice, spices and frozen vegetables.
According to the president at the Arab Brazilian Chamber, Antonio Sarkis Jr., they are interested in the Brazilian food production technology, in the products, and also in partnerships. "Brazil is known to have one of the world’s most advanced food technologies, which attracts interest,” he says. "Since the Arab market has been consolidating itself as a partner in the agribusiness field and regards Brazil as an important supplier, they became interested in coming here to visit," explains the president of the Arab Brazilian Chamber. Together, the seven businessmen import over US$ 36 million a year.
The business roundtables at the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce will be held from 10:00 am to 04:00 pm on Monday, 25th. On the same day, the Arabs will attend a dinner offered by the organisation. On Tuesday, 26th, they will be received by the organisers of Fispal, and on Wednesday, 27th, by the organisers of the ABF Franchising Expo, a fair for the franchise sector promoted by the Brazilian Franchising Association and by Messe Frankfurt, from June 27th to 30th. The return of the businessmen to their country is forecasted to the 28th, but there is a possibility that they will remain a few more days in Brazil in order to visit some companies.
Foodstuffs answer to a large share of Brazilian exports to the countries in the League of Arab States. In the first four months this year, for instance, total Brazilian exports to the region amounted to US$ 2 billion, of which US$ 896,000 consisted of sugar and meat. Sugar is the main product sold by Brazil to the Arab nations. Cattle and chicken meats are the second most exported commodity. From the ten major items in the export basket, six are in the foodstuff sector.
Business Roundtables
Date: June 25th
Time: 10:00 am to 04:00 pm
Place: Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce
Enrolments: www.ccab.org.br
Information: (+55 11) 3147 4073 or marketing@ccab.org.br
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
