Marina Sarruf*
São Paulo – Egypt has been growing as a supplier of medical and hospital products. For five years Egyptian exports in the sector totalled US$ 3 million, but now they have already exceeded US$ 60 million, as said to ANBA Sherif Ezzat, the head of a delegation of 17 Egyptian businessmen who are in São Paulo to participate in the Hospitalar, the fair that begins today (20) and goes on up to Friday (23). "We want to enter the Latin American market through Brazil," stated Ezzat.
According to him, the medical and hospital product industry of Egypt has been growing every year. Five years ago there were just 12 companies in the sector in the Arab country, whereas today they have already exceeded 150. An example is Dawi Medical, a maker of catheters for use in cardiology and urology, which started its activities two years ago. The company, which employs 35 people, produces 10,000 catheters a month and exports 70% to Europe. "We must find the correct market niche here in Brazil," stated director Ahmed El-Akkad.
This is the second time that Egyptian businessmen are going to participate in Hospitalar. Last year, however, they did not exhibit at the fair. "We saw the potential of the Brazilian market last year. Now the idea is to find a distributor fore each company," stated Ezzat, who is also the president of LifeCare Surgical, a maker of surgical equipment.
Another company that is participating in the Egyptian stand, which covers an area of 205 square metres at Expo Center Norte, is Afri Medical, a maker of dressings and products for dialysis, anaesthetics and urology, among others. "We started exporting to Brazil in October last year. Eight containers of products for dialysis have already been shipped," stated the company export coordinator, Ramy Elfar. According to him, the objective behind participation in the fair is to find other distributors for other company products.
To Ezzat, the two greatest difficulties that businessmen in the sector have when entering Brazil are finding distributors and registering their products according to the norms established by the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa). "However, the Brazilian market has potential for our products. The competitiveness and difficulties are lower than on the European market," he said.
The Egyptian companies are being sponsored by the Egyptian Exporters Association (Expolink) and by the Centre for Industrial Modernization, an agency for the promotion of Egyptian industry that is financed by the European Union, and will have the support of the commercial office of Egypt in São Paulo and of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce. Yesterday the Egyptians visited the offices of the organization, where they were met by the secretary general, Michel Alaby, and by the commercial consul of Egypt in São Paulo, Mohamed Bakri Agami.
More Arabs
During the fair there will also be business roundtables between Brazilian exporters and foreign buyers, among them some from Libya, Syria, Iraq and Egypt. They Buyer Project, which brings together 20 foreign companies, will be promoted by the Brazilian Association of the Manufacturers of Medical and Dental Products (Abimo). Arab importers seek from disposable products and hospital furniture to equipment for medical tests.
The Arab Brazilian Chamber is also going to count on a stand at the fair to help not only Egyptian companies, but also other Arab businessmen who are at the fair.
The fair
The 13th edition of the Hospitalar is going to bring together over 1,000 exhibitor companies from 32 countries. The fair organization hopes to receive over 70,000 visitors. This is the largest fair of the kind in Latin America.
Further information
About the fair
www.hospitalar.com.br
*Translated by Mark Ament
