São Paulo – One of the main objectives of representatives of Brazilian companies participating in Khartoum International Fair, in Sudan, is to find a local distributor. The Brazilian stand, which is organized by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, received yesterday (02) over 100 visitors and all the companies have already made good contacts in the first two days of the fair.
"Many of the visitors stop here (at the stand) and like our product very much," stated the export manager at Grendene, Mario Oliveira. This is the first time that the shoe sector company sends a representative to the fair in Sudan. According to Oliveira, last year the company only sent sample products. "As the contacts were very good, we decided to come here," said Oliveira who is accompanying company trader Artur Bonotto.
According to the manager, the shoes made by the company call attention of the Sudanese public due to their colours and for the lightness of the sandals. "We believe that the contacts we made here are going to become business in the short term," he said. Oliveira should also have meetings scheduled by the Arab Chamber with businessmen as well as the contacts made at the fair.
Grendene, which is headquartered in Rio Grande do Sul, is exhibiting three brands at the fair: Rider, of male slippers, and Ipanema and Grendha, of female sandals and shoes. These brands are already exhibited in over 10 Arab countries. "We have good acceptance in the Arab market," explained Oliveira. Of all the company’s production, around 30% is turned to the foreign market.
Another company seeking a distributor in Sudan is Serlac, specialized in dairy products. "I came here with around 10 meetings scheduled," said company trader Luiz Mizutani, who is participating in the fair for the first time. According to him, Serlac already exports powdered milk to almost all Arab countries in North Africa and the idea now is to find a distributor for the retail market and for the main food factories in Sudan. "It is a market with great potential, where the world’s main producers of milk are present," he added.
In the food sector, apart from Serlac, other companies participating in the fair include trading company Agroway, which is also seeking partners. In the building material sector, Cotrimex is participating, in the ornamental stone sector.
According to the Market Development Analyst at the Arab Brazilian Chamber, Rafael Abdulmassih, many Sudanese businessmen invited to visit the Brazilian stand showed up. "This shows that the Arab Brazilian Chamber’s data bank may generate great results among the Brazilian and Arab companies," he pointed out.
Official visit
Khartoum International Fair was opened on Sunday by the vice president of Sudan, Ali Taha, who visited the Brazilian stand and greeted the Chamber representatives, namely Abdulmassih and Foreign Trade assistant Hans Lima.
During the fair opening addresses, the Arab Brazilian Chamber was mentioned, and it was recalled that the organisation has been participating in the event since 2006. According to Abdulmassih, Brazil is the only country in the Americas to have a stand at the fair, which ends on Saturday (7).
*Translated by Mark Ament
