São Paulo – Cofran, a maker of car tail lights and rear-view mirrors that is headquartered in the city of São Caetano do Sul, in Greater São Paulo, aims to expand its exports in coming years. And, for this, the company plans to invest mainly in the Arab countries. The company has been selling its products abroad for 15 years, and currently supplies 15 different markets. In the Middle East, the list includes Syria and Jordan. Iraq imported company products last year.
“We export around 10% of what we produce. The plan is to double the number of items sold abroad and the Arab countries are among our priorities,” explained Cofran director Márcio Codogno.
According to the executive, each market has its specificities. “In Syria, for example, the national fleet includes many GM vehicles, as is the case in Brazil,” said Codogno. “As we produce articles for vehicles of most of the carmakers that operate in Brazil, it is easy for us to sell our products abroad.” Cofran currently produces 730 items.
According to Codogno, the Brazilian auto part market is broad and the possibilities for those wishing to grow abroad are large. “We have many carmakers here and our quality standards are high,” he said.
Judging by the purchasing power of buyers in Egypt, a country targeted by a Brazilian trade mission to be organized by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce in May, businessmen in the sector may close good deals.
According to figures disclosed by the Embassy of Egypt, the domestic market for vehicles in that country grew 253% from 2003 to 2008, and it currently includes 24 carmakers. Further important information for investors is that the GDP of Egypt has grown on average 7% over the last three years.
Cofran is a family business, established in 1971 by brothers who previously worked as wholesalers supplying products for the auto industry. The company has two factories: one in São Caetano do Sul and the other in São Miguel Arcanjo, 180 kilometres away from the city of São Paulo, capital of the state that goes by the same name.
*Translated by Mark Ament
