Marina Sarruf*
marina.sarruf@anba.com.br
São Paulo – Sweets, lollipops, toast, cakes, panettones and biscuits are among the products that trading company Pacific Comercial from São Paulo (SE Brazil) wants to start exporting to the Arab nations. The company, which represents four brands, has already exported to the Arab market in the past and wants to rewin the region, participating in the Gulfood fair, to take place in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, at the end of February.
One of the companies represented by the trading is Dunga, a maker of stuffed biscuits, butter cookies, milk cookies and cream crackers, among others. Another company is Panifício Laura, a maker of cakes, wafers and panettones. Established in 1990, Panifício Laura is one of the companies of Mexican group Bimbo, a leader in the sector in Latin America, with over 5,000 products and 100 brands. The third company to be represented by Pacific Comercial is Charlotte, a maker of toasts, and the fourth is Balas Santa Rita, which has been on the market for over 50 years and offers around 15 kinds of lollipops and sweets.
According to the export manager at Pacific Comercial, Adriana Valente, the trading company exports to some 10 countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Italy, England, Germany, South Africa, Angola and Libya. The main importers are the United States and African nations. "All the products we offer are high quality and we are growing more and more on the foreign market. I believe that they all have chances on the Arab market," he said.
This is going to be the first time that the trading participates in Gulfood. The company normally participates in two large fairs in Germany, Anuga and ISM. Last year, Pacific Comercial also participated for the first time in a fair in Cuba, Fihav. According to Adriana, the expectation is to find in Gulfood both distributors and wholesalers.
To present company products at the fair in Dubai, Adriana has already sent several e-mails to potential buyers in the Emirates and Saudi Arabia, countries that are targets in the Gulf.
Pacific Comercial is one of the 12 companies that are participating in the stand that the Arab Brazilian Chamber is promoting in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture of Brazil. Other companies will be at the fair with their own spaces or together with the Brazilian Fruit Institute (Ibraf), the Brazilian Beef Industry and Exporters Association (Abiec) and the Brazilian Poultry Exporters Association (Abef).
Contact
Pacific Comercial
Tel (+55 11) 3872-2354
*Translated by Mark Ament