While sales to some countries rose over 75% – like what happened to Libya and Algeria -, there were drops of up to 40% in business with other markets. On average, however, export rose 6% in comparison to the previous year, and the CCAB forecast is for a new increase of around 10% in 2004.
Author: Giuliana Napolitano
The federal government and analysts believe that the rise of the real against the dollar and the perspective of economic growth should increase business. In the case of export, however, the most optimist perspectives are for a lower increase, around 10%.
The objective is to increase the passenger terminal, and make this airport, in the countryside of the southeastern state of São Paulo, the largest "cargo center in Latin America," stated the managing director of the Brazilian Airport Infrastructure Company (Infraero) in Viracopos, Lia Segaglio.
The Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) should create an exclusive line to finance the internationalization of Brazilian companies. Specialists heard by ANBA support the initiative and point out that few domestic companies have factories or business offices outside the country due to a lack of Brazilian export tradition.
ABC Brasil, currently controlled by the Arab Banking Corporation, a Bahrain based institution, started operations in partnership with Globo group, at the time mainly an editorial group.
This will be one of the topics to be discussed during the visit Lebanese president Emile Lahoud will make to Brazil in February 2004. According to the Brazilian ambassador in Beirut, Marcus de Vicenzi, the presidents will "continue talks" started earlier this month, when president Lula visited the Middle East.
This will be one of the main topics to be discussed between president Lula and president Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahayan, programmed for this weekend, said to ANBA the Brazilian ambassador in the Emirates, Flávio Moreira Sapha. The product is already the main Brazilian export item to that Arab country.
The presidential tour may bring the Mercosur (the Common Market of the South, a customs union between Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay) and the Arabian Gulf closer. The same may happen between the South American bloc and Egypt, stated Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (CCAB) secretary-general Michel Alaby. According to him, in future state governors should organize missions to the region.
Total Brazilian sales to the region rose only 2.8% from January to October this year, but Development, Industry, and Foreign Trade Ministry figures show that trade basket diversification has been gaining strength, stated the adjunct-secretary of the Foreign Trade Secretariat (Secex), Ivan Ramalho.
"The market has great potential," states official Brazilian Tourism Agency (Embratur) president Eduardo Sanovicz, in an interview to ANBA. During the Brazilian Week & Trade Exhibition to take place in Dubai, apart from attracting tourists to the country, the government intends to capture infrastructure investment.
Doctors from the hospital will participate in the Brazilian Week & Trade Exhibition in Dubai, and will follow president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva throughout his trip to the Middle East and North Africa in December. This is the first time the institution, founded by Arab immigrants in São Paulo, decides to get in contact with the region.
Around 30 or 40 Brazilian businessmen and over 100 Arab enterprises should take part in the event. The meetings, in an attempt to create business opportunities and attract investment, should take place in all cities visited by president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his party in December. In Libya alone, negotiations for contracts of up to US$ 1 billion in the infrastructure sector are possible.
With the reduction of Brazilian dependence on petroleum, the partners need to find new interests. According to analysts, this has already started, and the result is a leap in business between local and international companies.
In the Sobeet evaluation, Brazil has conditions to receive more resources from the Middle East and North Africa, if looked for, especially between the large oil producers, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
