Randa Achmawi*
Cairo – Brazilian leather and shoe components closed US$ 500,000 worth of deals during the three days of Meet in Africa, a sector trade show that ended on Monday (27) in Cairo, the capital of Egypt. "During the trade show, we renewed contracts for the sale of 12 containers. In the whole of last year, Egypt alone bought 20 containers of various components for male and female shoe manufacturing, worth US$ 800,000," claimed Daniel Schnorr, a consultant for the Brazilian Association of Shoe and Leather Components Industries (Assintecal), who attended the trade show.
This edition of Meet in Africa was organised by the Egyptian Exporters Association (Expolink), the Federation of Egyptian Industries, the Egyptian Chamber of Tanning, Leather and Fur Industries and the Egyptian Chamber of Leather Industries. According to Schnorr, products sold during the trade show include regular and recycled leather soles, rubber and polyurethane soles, and components for safety shoe manufacturing, more resistant against accidents at work.
Assintecal promoted the participation of Brazilian companies in partnership with the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex). Overall, 13 companies had their articles displayed during the trade show: Recouro, Boxflex, Formas Kunz, Fibracouro, Termotextil, Inbrape, Amapá, A Tonal, Matrizaria Polako, Uniflex, Escowal, Cipatex and DT Pregos.
In addition to products, the Brazilian stand displayed national shoe manufacturing technologies as well. According to Schnorr, the stand featured shoe assembly machines, sewing machines and laser cutting machines. "We sense a demand for shoe manufacturing machines in the Egyptian, Arab, and even African markets. We are offering ours because, being the third largest shoe manufacturing country in the world, we possess extremely advanced production technologies," claimed Assintecal president Luís Claudio Amaral.
During the trade show, the Brazilian stand was visited by the president of the Egyptian Chamber of Leather Industries, Omar El Derini. In a meeting held between him and the Assintecal representatives – president Amaral, the vice-president for information technology, Ricardo Peres, and the market manager for São Paulo, Juliana Dilly -, a visit of an Egyptian delegation to Brazil in early 2007 was prearranged, so they can get to know Brazilian companies in the sector.
According to the president of Assintecal, the trade show in Cairo yielded good results. "Egyptian distributors buy a lot from Italy, nevertheless businessmen showed interest in our products," said Amaral. According to him, Egypt and the Arab countries constitute a very promising market, which may have room for Brazilian manufacturers.
In addition to the deals closed during the three days of Meet in Africa, formal contacts were made with more than 300 Egyptian, Arab and African companies whose products range from female shoes to boots and purses. "We met with industry representatives from the Arab countries of Syria, Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan, Lybia, Yemen and Sudan," claimed Schnorr. "But we were also visited by people interested in our products who came from Senegal, Zambia, Ethiopia and South Africa," he said.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
