São Paulo – From gold to furniture, there’s a whole range of products that Dubai wants to export to Brazil. This Thursday (8), business owners and executives found out more about these business opportunities at an event held by the emirate’s state-run agency Dubai Exports at the offices of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce.
“We can provide contact information, arrange matchmaking meetings, organize missions and visits to plants in Dubai,” explained Bruno Bassi, the Export Manager with Dubai Exports in Brazil. Bassi stressed that the organization has been carrying out actions alongside the Brazilian Exports and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) and the Arab Brazilian Chamber, as well as other Brazilian organizations, to showcase the goods and services that Dubai can export.
Currently, Bassi said, Dubai’s top export items, apart from oil industry products, are stones and pearls, which make up 39% of foreign sales from the emirate; aluminum and its products, which account for 11% of total exports; and plastic and its products, at 5%.
During his presentation, Bassi pointed out that the products Dubai intends to ship to Brazil the most include gold and jewelry, perfumes, food, steel and aluminum, plastic, medical equipment, furniture and décor items.
The Dubai Exports manager said, however, that the emirate does not intend to compete with domestic-made products. “Our vision is to always be complementary to the economies [of the countries that we sell to]. The aluminum that Dubai exports to Brazil is not the same aluminum that’s made in Brazil,” he said as a case in point.
“In gold and jewelry, we are organizing a mission to Feninjer (the Brazilian Gems and Jewellery Show, in São Paulo) and we will try to bring at least two or three gold companies to see the fair, meet a few distributors and tour a few of the major jewel and gem distributors,” Bassi said regarding one of the actions in the plans for next year.
Regarding perfume export opportunities, Bassi remarked that the emirate already sells high-cost product to Brazil, but opportunities are also available in lower price point perfumes.
“We have companies that are securing a foothold in a rather interesting niche, which are perfumes on the USD 1 to USD 20 price range. These are the products we are striving to place on the Brazilian market as well. You have, for one, the company Nabeel Perfumes, which is about to sell its second batch to Brazil. They first started selling to a local distributor in the state of Goiás, and now they intend to sell nationwide, especially in North and Northeast Brazil, which is where these products have the biggest appeal,” revealed Bassi.
This piqued the interest of Maurício Beretta, a partner and director at São Paulo-based export/import company Beretta & Francini Comércio de Importação e Exportação. “What’s interesting is the price, the product’s value. As far as I see it, it could be easily placed on the Brazilian market. That’s why I thought about becoming the sole distributor and supplier in Brazil,” he said. His company, which currently exports fabric and sewing supplies, is in talks to sell Mexican perfumes in Brazil.
Another industry with plans underway for next year is that of medical equipment. “We are trying to put together a group to attend the Hospitalar industry show next year. This is another industry where we have made very relevant advances. Over the past few years, Dubai has evolved into a hospital tourism hub. Lots of people are seeking medical treatment in Dubai, and this led the industry to develop and to always strive to innovate and supply new equipment and inputs,” Bassi pointed out.
In the audience, Thiago Belviso, of the São Paulo-based brokerage firm Belviso Corretora, wanted more information on the subject. “Besides insurance, we offer export/import consulting. That’s what we are here for, to learn about the Dubai market, about how they operate, so we can convey that to our clients. There’s a demand for pacemakers, optical equipment, surgical equipment, and neurological testing equipment,” he said.
For additional information call the Dubai Exports office in São Paulo: +55 11 4063-6066.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
