Isaura Daniel*
isaura.daniel@anba.com.br
São Paulo – Brazilian manufacturers increased their chocolate exports to Arab countries by 50% in the beginning of this year. Sales rose from 141.3 tonnes between January and April last year to 210.4 tonnes in the same period this year. In terms of revenues, exports grew at a higher rate – 69% -, from US$ 326,800 to US$ 552,300.
"The Arab market is important for us, we need further effort on it," says the executive director at the Brazilian Cocoa and Confectionery Manufacturers Association (Abicab), Clara Singer. According to her, the organisation plans to hold actions in the region, such as participating in trade fairs, in order to increase export volumes.
The Arab country that purchased the most chocolate from Brazil in the first four months this year was Yemen, 76.6 tonnes, the equivalent to US$ 225,000. The second largest buyer was Egypt, 29.8 tonnes and US$ 114,500. The United Arab Emirates ranked third, having bought 30.8 tonnes of Brazilian chocolate, equivalent to US$ 81,200.
Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Jordan, Bahrain, Sudan and Lebanon also imported chocolate from Brazil up to April this year. The figures mentioned above also include powdered cocoa exports, but those answered to just US$ 2,300 of the total, according to data from the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade.
In Yemen and the Emirates, for example, chocolates of the Brazilian brand Garoto can be found on the shelves of supermarkets and groceries. According to Clara, of the Abicab, the organisation wants to involve the segment in a trade fair in the region that targets the Arab market as a whole.
Last year, national exports of chocolate remained stable and generated revenues of US$ 132 million, according to figures supplied by the Abicab. According to Clara, Brazil is capable of exporting more. Last year, according to her, foreign sales were affected by the appreciation of the Brazilian real against the dollar.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
