São Paulo – The Brazilian Foreign Ministry should bring together the heads of the Trade Promotion departments of the country’s embassies in the Middle East, in Doha, Qatar, next week, to discuss and plot strategies for the strengthening of Brazilian trade with the region. The initiative is part of a series of actions to strengthen the Itamaraty’s trade area, announced early this month by foreign minister Antonio Patriota.
According to the head of the Trade Promotion Department at the Foreign Office, Rubens Gama, the main focus of talks should be export strategies, but actions for Brazilian investment in the region and Arab investment in Brazil should also be covered. The meeting should take place on November 1st and 2nd, and will include representatives of 12 embassies, among them that of the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Gama said that the plan to strengthen the Itamaraty’s trade operation should be more focussed on emerging markets. “Within these countries, the Arabs grew much in trade and have become a priority for us,” said the director. He recalls that up to 2005, 50% of Brazilian foreign trade was with developed nations. Currently, according to the diplomat, 60% of trade is with the emerging nations.
The director recalls that Brazilian agroindustrial products, like juice and chicken, are very competitive in the Arab world. According to figures disclosed by the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, Brazil exported US$ 11 billion to the countries of the Arab League from January to September this year, mainly in meats, ores and sugar. In 2005, shipments were just US$ 5 billion.
The Itamaraty initiative of strengthening the trade area – part of the Federal Government’s “2011-2014 National Export Strategy” – should include several actions, from greater participation in fairs abroad, expansion of the number of diplomats working in the General Appeals Coordination (CGC) – which operates in areas in foreign trade -, further training at the diplomacy school (Rio Branco Institute) and training for those who already operate in the embassies.
According to Gama, in the latter area, the Itamaraty will use videoconferencing aimed at providing training from Brasília to the embassies. Experiments have already been made in the US and China and should be made in Colombia. This tool should also be used to work with the Arab countries. It is done in partnership with the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex).
Institutional events to show Brazil abroad, like seminars recently promoted in Turkey, should also be promoted in the Arab world.
*Translated by Mark Ament
