Isaura Daniel*
São Paulo – Importers from Tunisia and Egypt will participate in the International Fair of Leathers, Chemicals, Components and Accessories, Equipment and Machinery for Footwear and Tanneries (Fimec), which starts today (05) in the city of Novo Hamburgo, in the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The exhibit will have, amongst the foreign visitors, four Tunisians and four Egyptians. The businessmen from Tunisia will put in place a cooperation agreement with Brazilian industries of components, which was signed in March, official this afternoon.
Fimec is a trade fair turned to the shoe and leather industry, and has exhibitors like technology and component suppliers for these sectors, like manufacturers of soles, shoe tops, glue, paint and decorations. The organisers of the show expect to receive 50,000 visitors between today and Saturday, when the fair ends. As well as the Tunisians and Egyptians, there will also be importers from another 33 countries, like China, the United States, South Africa, Japan, France, Italy, Peru, Venezuela and Uruguay.
About 1,200 brands of components will have stands at the Fenac Exhibition Park, where the fair takes place. The exhibitors are from Brazil, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Korea, China, Holland, England, Argentina, Taiwan, Finland, Uruguay, France, United States, Russia, Slovenia, Canada, Pakistan, United Kingdom, Spain, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Turkey, Peru and Mexico. Amongst the great Brazilian companies or those that have units in the country are Amazonas, Basf, Clariant, Dupont and Rhodia.
Many sector organizations invited visitors from other countries to the fair, with the support of the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex). The Brazilian Association of Industries of Machinery and Equipment for Leather, Footwear and Related Products (Abrameq), for example, brought 15 importers form India, Mexico, Colombia and Peru. The Brazilian Association of Companies for Leather, Shoes and Artefacts (Assintecal), invited 20 businessmen from eight countries, among them Tunisians and Egyptians.
Like Tunisia
The invitation by the Assintecal is the fruit of a tour that representatives of organizations made last year to various countries to discuss trade cooperation. Two of the countries visited were Egypt and Tunisia. The trip to Tunisia took place in November last year, as part of a mission of Brazilian businessmen to the country for participation in the Brazil-Tunisia Business Council. On the Brazilian side, the council is represented by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and in Tunisia by the Tunisian Union of the Industry, Trade and Craft (Utica).
It was the Brazil-Tunisia Business Council that suggested bringing Brazilian suppliers of footwear components closer to the Tunisian footwear industry. Today, the Marketing vice president at the Arab Brazilian Chamber, Rubens Hannun, is going to participate in the putting in place of the agreement between both sectors, in Novo Hamburgo. It is going to take place at 05:00 pm in the Assintecal pavilion at the fair and will be signed, on the Tunisian side, by a representative of the National Federation of Leather and Shoes (FNCC).
Negotiations for the agreement began in November last year. It forecasts the exchange of information between businessmen from both countries, the disclosure of opportunities for partnerships, assistance to partners from other countries, especially in fairs and seminars, as well as promotion of visits and missions, meetings and research. The main objectives, however, are the supply of Brazilian components to shoe and leather industries in Tunisia and the exchange of technology.
Fimec
Fimec arose in 1947 at a time in which the shoe industry in Sinos Valley, where the fair takes place, was in full development. The first fair included 138 industries from 12 countries. Fimec is currently one of the two largest fairs of inputs and machinery for the shoe industry in the world. It competes, in terms of number of visitors, exhibitors and business volume with Asia Pacific Leather Fair, which takes place in Hong Kong in the month of March.
The show takes place in the city of Novo Hamburgo, in Sinos Valley, a region that is a reference in the production of shoes in Brazil. The valley has both large shoe industries, like Azaléia and Beira-Rio, and small factories. Around them is a broad range of suppliers, from makers of soles and inner soles to fabric for shoes, chemical products, moulds, polyurethane, buckles and shoelaces.
Service
Fimec
Date: April 05 to 08
Time: from 01:00 pm to 08:00 pm
Location: Fenac Exhibition Park – Novo Hamburgo
Site: www.fimec.com.br
*Translated by Silvia Lindsey and Mark Ament
