Marina Sarruf
and Randa Achmawi*
São Paulo and Cairo – Contacts made between Arab and Brazilian businessmen during Cairo International Fair, which ends on Tuesday (28) in Egypt, should generate US$ 15 million in deals over the next 12 months. "This is just considering the dairy and meat sectors," stated the secretary general of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Michel Alaby, who was at the fair. The fair began on the 19th.
"Our greatest concern this time was the establishment of better communication with our buyers," stated the executive director of the Brazilian Beef Industry and Exporters Association (Abiec), Antonio Jorge Camardelli, who participated in the event.
During the fair, Alaby had meetings with businessmen and with the president of the Egyptian Beef Importers Union, Alaa Radwan, together with Camardelli and with the executive manager of the Federation of Muslim Associations of Brazil (Fambras), Mohamed El Zoghbi. At the meeting it was decided that the Abiec will produce a catalogue explaining the standards of cuts of Brazilian beef and the sanitary norms that slaughterhouses in both countries have in common, aimed at improving the quality of joint work.
Up to last year, Egypt was the largest world importer of Brazilian cattle beef, and that is why there is concern in clarifying the quality norms and cutting standards to Arab importers. To Camardelli, relations with Egypt are entering a new phase, the establishment of joint ventures. "We do not only want to sell to Egypt and to the Arab world. Now our intention is to show that we may be partners. Some businessmen are already trying to make possible business where the raw material may be industrialized here. It would be a partnership where everyone wins," he said. He added that the Abiec site on the Internet has an Arabic version.
Milk
The evaluation of the president of Tangará, Arlindo Curzi Júnior, is also positive. The company produces powdered milk. "We ended with a very positive balance of 60 serious contacts, among them the main players in the dairy sector in Egypt. And that is why we hope that we will soon have a good definitive partner for our product," he said. Tangará has perspectives for closing deals with one of the largest producers of dairy products in Egypt.
Starret, a maker of saws, also considers its objectives reached, as it planned to learn more about the market. "In this respect I believe that our comprehension of this region has improved in a fundamental manner. And this will have a very positive effect from now on, not only in our relations with the Egyptians, but also with our relations with other Arab countries with whom we want to work in the future," stated Sérgio Teisen, the company representative who participated in the fair. Starret signed on an agent who is going to distribute company products in Egypt.
Among the visitors to the Arab Brazilian Chamber stand were Lebanese, Tunisian, Palestinian and Sudanese businessmen, as well as those from Egypt. Cairo International Fair receives around 1.5 million visitors.
Alaby also had meetings with the secretary general for political affairs at the League of Arab States, Ahmed Ben Helli. One of the matters discussed was the meeting of the General Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Trade for the Arab Countries, to take place in Saudi Arabia between April 3 and 6.
*Translated by Mark Ament