From the Newsroom*
São Paulo – The Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex) signed this Friday (28), in São Paulo, six agreements with the aim of promoting exports of goods and services in the sectors of ceramic tiles, printing products, defence materials, decoration objects, cinema and independent productions for television. The agreements were signed with the representative entities in these segments and two of them foresee actions in the United Arab Emirates.
One is the renovation of the contract with the Brazilian Association of Ceramic Tile Manufacturers (Anfacer). Amongst the actions is the participation at the Big 5 Show, civil construction fair to take place at the end of the year in Dubai.
According to information by the Apex, this sector exported the equivalent to US$ 375 million last year. Brazil is the second largest consumer market for ceramic tiles in the world, the 4th largest producer and the 4th greatest exporter.
With the agreement, which foresees investment of US$ 3.2 million in trade promotion actions, Apex hopes that exports increase in 10% this year and 550 new jobs are created. Actions turned to the markets of Russia, South Africa, India, China, United States, Caribbean, Italy and Argentina are also scheduled.
Currently 42 companies participate in the project, but the aim is to increase the number to 54. The sector as a whole is made up by 90 companies which employ 6,000 people.
Printing industry
The agreement signed with the Brazilian Association of the Printing Industry (Abigraf) also the Emirates as one of the main targets. The idea is to organise a mission to Dubai. There will be investments of approximately US$ 950,000 in many areas involving 20 companies in the fields of editorial and promotional products, packaging and stationery articles.
Last year, according to Apex, the companies which today are part of the project exported the equivalent to US$ 2.5 million. The aim is to increase foreign sales to US$ 7.8 million in 2006. In the future, they hope to include another 10 companies and generate 400 jobs. The sector currently employs 5,100 people. The other targets of the agreement are the United States, Angola, South Africa, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Guatemala, Argentina and Venezuela.
Other sectors
The remaining agreements were signed with the Brazilian Association of the Defence Materials Industries (Abimde), the Institute Fazer Brasil, of the decoration sector, the Brazilian Association of Independent Television Producers (ABPI-TV) and the Union of the Cinema Industry of the State of São Paulo (Sicesp). The total to be invested in all the agreements adds up to nearly US$ 9 million.
*Translated by Silvia Lindsey
