São Paulo – The minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade of Brazil, Miguel Jorge, should head a trade delegation to Algeria and Oman this week, from the 15th to the 18th. This should be the third trade delegation he heads to the Arab world. In April, Jorge headed a delegation that visited Egypt and Lebanon. Early last year, the minister took a group of businessmen to Libya, Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco.
According to the secretary general at the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Michel Alaby, the trip to Algeria is to repay the visit of the Algerian minister of Foreign Affairs, Mourad Medelci, to Brazil in July.
“He (Medelci) invited us and the Algerian government is going to present its investment plan in the infrastructure area to Brazilian businessmen," said Alaby, who should be included in the delegation. "The minister [Miguel Jorge] is travelling to open doors. The importance of visits by authorities, together with businessmen, opens doors for Brazilian products," he added.
According to Alaby, the contacts should generate business, especially in the building and food sectors. “Algeria, for example, does not import chicken from anywhere in the world and the idea is to seek a facilitator for this trade," he said. "The visit to Oman will be to strengthen institutional ties with the food sector," he finished off.
Among the companies to send representatives on the mission are construction companies Andrade Gutierrez, Orbisat, Camargo Correa, Galvão Engenharia and Queiroz Galvão, Minerva slaughterhouse, aircraft maker Embraer and mining company Vale, as well as sector organisations like the Brazilian Beef Industry and Exporters Association (Abiec), the Brazilian Poultry Union (Ubabef), the Brazilian Association of Infrastructure and Basic Industries (Abdib) and the Brazilian Defence and Security Industries Association (Abimde).
The group should arrive in Algiers, the Algerian capital, on Wednesday (15), where it will participate in seminar Five Year Plan 2010-2014 and in meetings with Algerian ministers. Apart from minister Medelci, Miguel Jorge should meet with the ministers of Industry and Investment Promotion, Mohamed Benmeradi, Trade, Mustapha Benbada, Public Works, Amar Ghoul, Agriculture and Rural Development, Rachid Benaïss, and Mines and Energy, Youcef Yousfi.
Saturday (17), in Muscat, the capital of Oman, the Brazilian minister and part of the delegation should meet with the minister of Trade and Industry, Maqbool Bin Ali Bin Sultan. Jorge should also meet the minister of National Economy, Ahmed Bin Abdulbani Macki, the minister of Oil and Gas, Mohammed Bin Hamad Al Rumhi, and the minister of Agriculture, Salim Bin Hilal Al Khalili.
The group should also visit the Sohar region, the ancient capital of Oman. With rich history connected to navigation, Sohar was traditionally a fishing village, but, in recent years, became an industrial hub in the country. Sohar Port attracts large international organisations, like mining company Vale.
Vale has been operating in Oman since 2007 and is developing a pelleting project, with a capacity for production of 9 million tonnes a year of iron pellets, and a distribution centre with capacity for the throughput of 40 million tonnes a year in Sohar port. The project cost is estimated at over US$ 1.3 billion and the start of operations is expected to be this half.
Algeria
A large producer and exporter of dates, citric products, fisheries and lamb, Algeria is also prominent for the production of raw material for fertilizers. Located in North Africa, with a population of 35 million inhabitants and a GDP of US$ 267.32 billion, the country has oil reserves of over 15 billion barrels.
According to figures disclosed by the Market Development Department at the Arab Brazilian Chamber, from January to August 2010, the Algerians imported US$ 458.76 million in Brazilian products. The value is 2.2% lower than that registered in the same period last year. The main items shipped to the country in North Africa were sugar, raw beef and soy oil.
Brazilian imports from Algeria grew 82% from January to August this year as against the same period last year. They rose from US$ 947.2 million to over US$ 1.7 billion. Brazil imported mainly oil and inputs for the fertilizer industry.
Oman
Oman is located in the Arabian Peninsula, with a population of 3 million people and a GDP of US$ 68.8 billion. In the first eight months of the year, Brazil exported US$ 82.24 million to Oman, growth of 11% over the same period last year. The main products exported were meats, wrought iron, iron and steel.
Omani exports to Brazil are still modest. From January to August 2010, Brazil imported US$ 2.76 million in plastics (raw material) from the Arab country. Stoneworks, gypsum and cement were also included in the basket.
*Translated by Mark Ament
