Geovana Pagel
São Paulo -Brazil Business Consulting (BBC), a company from the southeastern Brazilian state of São Paulo specialized in consultancy and development of foreign trade, is interested in participating in tenders in Algeria and in the United Arab Emirates. The company has been prospecting business on the foreign market for Brazilian wood producers and construction companies.
In Algeria, the company intends to participate in the government project for construction of popular housing, which involves a total of US$ 1.4 billion and forecasts the construction of one million homes up to 2009.
In the case of the Emirates, the BBC target is to participate in tenders for 50 new real estate projects, to be opened by the government of Abu Dhabi. Investment in the construction of commercial and residential buildings will total over US$ 270 million. In 2005, over US$ 540 million will be made available for 100 new projects.
The BBC business development director, Neuracy Bezerra, says that for some time she has been accompanying the development of the economy of some countries and identified the Arab market as a potential importer. The company has been exporting wood to the United States for a year and a half.
"Countries like the Emirates, for example, are developing solid and luxury constructions in the hotel, residential and trade areas," she said. "Brazil has advanced technology, according to the standard of international norms, and competitive prices. However, we have clear conditions to export to the Arab market in general," he said.
According to Neuracy, the main BBC representation is in the area of tropical woods, with certification (Forest Stewardship Council – FSC), some being taken out of the Amazon Forest. "We have strong trade relations in Brazil with various suppliers of wood, and are currently adding civil construction to our portfolio," she finished off.
More wood exported and certified
The Brazilian wood industry has been increasing its participation in foreign trade. The accumulated result for the first half of this year shows wood export having risen 38% with regard to the same period in 2003. According to figures supplied by the Brazilian Plywood Industry and Exporters Association (Abimci), from January to June 2004, export totalled US$ 2.41 billion.
Brazil is the second country in term of the largest number of certified wood companies in South America. In total, there are 160 certified wood companies.
Sector importance
The wood sector is responsible for generation of an important share of the Brazilian GDP, and for the generation of a large number of jobs.
The entire forestry sector productive chain employs approximately 6.5 million people, answering to around 9% of the country economically active population.
The solid wood sector productive chain includes around 2.5 million work posts. Of this total, approximately 215,000 work posts will be maintained directly in the activity, which represents 4.3% of the total of jobs generated in the transformation industry.
A sector study executed by the Abimci in 2003 shows that the forestry sector and its productive, industrial and trade chain represent around 4.5% of the Brazilian GDP.
Contact
Brazil Business Consulting (BBC)
neuracyb@ig.com.br
