São Paulo – Brazilian bus body maker Comil plans to maintain exports in 2010 at the same level as exports this year. The company has a factory in the city of Erechim, in Rio Grande do Sul, where it produces around 3,000 units a year and ships 25% of the total abroad. According to export manager Aderbal Marchi, the domestic market should grow for the company next year and the foreign market should remain stable.
Comil has already started exporting to the Arab countries, but no sales were made in 2009. The company is not participating in any tender in the region, according to Marchi, but is aware of opportunities in that market. This year, the company was represented at a fair in Iraq. “Iraq has already been and should return to being an important market [for Brazil],” said Marchi. Comil has a representative in the United Arab Emirates.
The Arab countries to which Comil has already sold are Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt. Exports to Saudi Arabia took place in 2004. Sales totalled 273 bus bodies, of which 200 were Campione coaches, for the transportation of pilgrims from Jeddah to the cities of Mecca and Medina. The other 73 units were urban buses, of the Svelto model, for use in the transport of pilgrims within Meca and Medina.
To Qatar, Comil exported in 2005. At the time, the shipment totalled 514 units. Of this total, 414 were for urban transportation, in the Svelto line, and 100 coaches in the Campione line. The buses were purchased for transportation during the Asian games, which the country hosted in 2006, and for urban and school transportation. To Egypt, the company made a small export in 2004.
According to Marchi, the Middle East is still an expanding market for buses. The appreciation of the real, however, according to the manager, affected the Comil competitiveness in the region. Despite Africa and the Middle East normally placing the largest volumes of orders for Comil buses, the most constant markets for the company abroad are in South America: Chile, Argentina and Peru. Comil exports to around 20 countries.
Contact
Comil
Telephone: (+55 54) 3520-8700
Site: www.comilonibus.com.br
*Translated by Mark Ament
