São Paulo – The city of Resende, in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state, is seeking closer ties with international markets, with Arab countries part of its strategy. Resende’s secretary of industry, trade and services, Fernando Rodrigues, and the secretariat’s superintendent of technology and innovation, Fernando Vitorino, visited the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) in São Paulo on Thursday (1) to present the city’s internationalization project and establish a partnership to boost exports of local products and services and attract foreign investment.
“We have been reaching out to chambers of commerce and consulates to showcase the city’s potential and promote the internationalization of Resende companies, both by showing small and medium-sized suppliers that they can export their products and services to these countries and by attracting foreign direct investment to Resende,” Rodrigues said after a meeting with ABCC Vice President for International Relations Mohamad Orra Mourad, Institutional Relations Adviser Bassel Abou Latif, and Market Intelligence Manager Marcus Vinicius.
Resende is located in southern Rio de Janeiro state, in the Agulhas Negras region, which is home to an automotive hub with five major automakers, as well as a bonded dry port and numerous tourist attractions.
“In addition to the automotive sector, our city has strong potential in logistics and foreign trade,” Rodrigues said, citing Resende’s proximity to three major consumer markets in Brazil: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Minas Gerais.
Resende’s Secretariat of Industry, Trade and Services began this year reaching out to consulates and chambers of commerce and plans to bring them to Expo Agulhas Negras, a multisector trade fair to be held May 19-22 next year at the Resende Exhibition Park. The plan is to provide a space for these international organizations and have them take part in business matchmaking sessions with local companies on behalf of the international markets they represent.
The ABCC was also invited to provide Resende businesses with information on the Arab market later this year, as part of an initiative with the secretariat.
“Many companies already export, but small and medium-sized businesses often have difficulty accessing new markets,” Rodrigues said, explaining the aim of providing companies with information on potential export destinations. “There are specific requirements for exporting to Arab markets due to religious considerations; some products need certification,” he said, referring to halal certification for Muslim markets.
Rodrigues said he and Vitorino were warmly received at the ABCC and sees potential for synergies between Resende and Arab countries. The secretary said the partnership is a long-term project and that the city also plans to engage in the ABCC’s activities by taking part in missions and forums organized by the institution to build ties with Arab countries.
“We will put Resende on the map of these events,” the secretary told ANBA.
Resende
Resende has a population of about 129,000 and is part of a microregion that also includes Itatiaia, Quatis and Porto Real. Together, they make up the Agulhas Negras region, which will be the focus of next year’s trade fair. The Agulhas Negras region is home to automotive companies such as Stellantis in Porto Real, Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus and Nissan in Resende, and Jaguar Land Rover in Itatiaia, as well as heavy equipment manufacturer Hyundai Heavy Industries, also in Itatiaia. Companies based in the region typically export through the Resende Inland Port, which is connected by rail to the ports of Santos and Rio de Janeiro. The inland port also handles imports.
In addition to expanding ties with foreign markets, the city has been implementing other initiatives expected to boost its economy, including an innovation, science and technology policy and the development of a sandbox for locally developed innovative solutions in areas ranging from healthcare to education.
“We are now bringing startups into our sandbox,” Rodrigues said, also highlighting an employability project underway in partnership with the city’s education department to connect young people with the business ecosystem.
Read also:
Brazil’s Espírito Santo seeks business with Arabs
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
