São Paulo – Brazilian exports of beef to the Arab countries fetched US$ 85 million in June, an increase of 15.2% in comparison to the same period of last year, according to data from the Secretariat of Foreign Trade (Secex) gathered by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce.
With imports of US$ 59.7 million, Egypt was the Arab country that most imported beef from Brazil last month, a top position that the country hold for a long time already. The value is 56.2% higher than the one registered in July of 2014.
According to data released this Wednesday (12th) by the Association of Brazilian Beef Exporters (Abiec), Egypt holds second place in the world among the largest markets for the Brazilian market in July, behind only Venezuela. In the same month of last year, the Arab nation held the fifth position.
In the 10th position among the largest destinations and second among Arab countries are the United Arab Emirates. Exports to the UAE fetched US$ 8 million last month, a 32.3% over July 2014.
Overall, Brazil exported US$ 505.8 million worth of beef in July, according to Abiec, a decline of 27% over the same month of last year.
The association pointed out, however, that exports increased 3% over June 2015 and singled out the results of sale to China, which opened the market to the Brazilian product in mid-June and in July already held the fourth position among the main destinations with US$ 57.3 million in imports.
Year-to-July
Year-to-July, beef exports to the Arab countries totaled US$ 601.6 million, an increase of almost 10%, according to data by Secex gathered by the Arab Chamber.
Egypt headed the bloc’s purchases with imports of US$ 368.3 million, an increase of almost 30% in the same comparison. Algeria shows up in second place with US$ 61 million, an increase of 1.77%; and the United Arab Emirates appears at third place with US$ 55 million, a 4.77% increase.
Among the largest markets in the world, according to Abiec, Egypt holds fourth place year-to-July, behind only Hong Kong, European Union and Russia; Algeria is at the 10th place.
Overall, beef exports fetched US$ 3.2 billion in the first seven months of 2015, a decline of 19% in comparison to the same period of last year. However, the association expects better results in the next months.
“China already appears as a large market, which allows us to maintain this estimation. In addition to this scenario, with the end of Ramadan, the expectation grows for the opening of the Saudi Arabia market. With this, we will maintain our efforts to reach the same level of exports and those registered in 2014”, said in a statement the association’s president, Antonio Jorge Camardelli.
The Ramadan is the month in the Islamic calendar in which Muslims fast from sunset to sunrise, and this year this period started on June 18th and ended on July 17th. Saudi Arabia had an embargo in place for beef imports from Brazil since December 2012. Negotiations for the resume of shipments are in an advanced stage, but normally there is a reduction in working hours of governments and companies in the Arab world during Ramadan due to the fasting.
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
