Isaura Daniel
São Paulo – The business roundtable that took place between Brazilian businessmen and representatives of 13 Algerian companies on a trade mission in São Paulo, in southeastern Brazil, ended on Friday (27), with a positive balance. Around 120 domestic companies in various sectors visited Hotel Blue Tree Towers Convention Centre, in the city of São Paulo, so as to make commercial contact with the Algerians.
"The meetings were very positive both for the Algerians and for the Brazilians. Brazil has a level of excellence in many sectors, and the Algerian market is currently opening itself to international products," stated the vice president of the Algerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CACI), Hadjan Hussein.
Although no deals were closed, the Brazilian businessmen left the roundtables enthusiastic with the possibility of future sales. "I found business opportunities in an area that I had not previously considered," stated Eduardo Moraes, director of Latinex, a company from the state of Paraná that operates as a representative of the mashed fruit and juice sector.
The businessman participated in the round so as to trade juices, but ended up making contact for the sale of mashed fruit to companies in the Algerian juice industry. Latinex already exports mashed fruit to Angola and South Africa. Moraes came from Paraná state capital Curitiba to meet the Algerian mission.
Hecetaco is another Brazilian company that left the roundtable with good business possibilities. The company trades commodities and chemical products and should start selling coffee and wheat to Algeria. "We have identified two potential partners and have 70% chance of selling to them," stated Hélio Cesar Tavares Costa, the company representative present at the roundtable.
Hecetaco already has 10% of export turned to the Middle East, but has never sold to Algeria. According to Costa, Brazilian product prices attracted the attention of the Algerians. "They (the Algerians) were greatly surprised when we mentioned the prices of Brazilian products," he stated.
Mission
The Algerians also showed enthusiasm. The manager of SNC, the Eastern Algerian Wood Processing Industry, Brahim Bouard, showed his satisfaction with the contacts made at the roundtables. "We are going to talk to the businessmen we made contact with again. Business may be generated here," he stated.
SNC is interested in taking Brazilian companies to produce furniture in Algeria. "We have a site for production, and capital. The Brazilians have raw material and knowledge of design," he stated. According to Bouard, the import of ready-made Brazilian furniture ends up excessively expensive due to tariffs.
Many of the Algerians showed interest in establishing partnerships with Brazilian businessmen for technology transfer to their country. "Apart from providing incentives to greater trade, this mission should generate projects for cooperation in the agricultural, agricultural food, and medication sectors," stated the Brazilian ambassador in Algiers, Isnard Penha Brasil Jr.
Eurl Confial, an Algerian company that produces and sells beer, juice, water, and sweets is one of the companies that participated in the mission interested in buying not only Brazilian raw material, but also technology for food production.
"There are many ideas for joint projects and this is just the first visit," stated Hussein. According to the vice president of the CACI, Algeria also has conditions for knowledge transfer in areas that may be of use to the Brazilians, including the gas sector or areas like olive oil, dates, dried figs, wheat semolina, and other kinds of products.
"There is great trade potential between Algeria and Brazil, and the mission may help balance trade, currently favourable for Algeria," he stated. "Brazilian businessmen have shown interest in developing lasting relations with the Algerians, despite the distance."
Rio de Janeiro
Today (30), the group of Algerians has business roundtables and a seminar at the offices of the Federation of Industries of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Firjan), in the city of Rio de Janeiro, also in southeastern Brazil. The mission travelled to Rio last Saturday.
