São Paulo – The Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade announced that enrolment is open for the trade mission to Egypt, Lebanon and Iran, due April 11th to 17th.
The business delegation will be led by minister Miguel Jorge with support from the Brazilian Foreign Office (Itamaraty), the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex), the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and the Brazil-Iran Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Enrolment will be open up until the 11th this month at the ministry’s website (view information below). Priority sectors are food and beverages, housing and construction, machinery and equipment, automobiles, infrastructure and aerospace.
The objective of the trip, according to the ministry, is to encourage Brazilian trade and investment in the Middle East. To the ministry, even though they are growing, trade relations with the three countries to be visited are still small-scale, when compared with Brazilian foreign trade as a whole.
According to data supplied by the ministry’s Foreign Trade Secretariat, exports from Brazil to Egypt totalled US$ 1.444 billion last year, representing growth of 2.5% compared with 2008. The main items shipped were iron ore, raw meats, sugar, aircraft and inorganic chemicals. Companies from both Egypt and Lebanon have already purchased aircraft by Embraer.
Sales to Lebanon totalled US$ 310.6 million in 2009, representing an increase of 13.4% compared with the previous year. The main goods shipped were raw meats, livestock, coffee, semi-manufactured iron and steel products, and diesel oil. Brazil houses the world’s largest community of Lebanese immigrants and descendents.
Revenues from shipments to Iran totalled US$ 1.218 billion last year, a 7.5% increase over 2008. The main products in the export basket were raw meats, maize, sugar, soy chaff and soy grain.
According to the ministry, if companies are interested, business roundtables can be organized for the food and beverages, housing and construction, machinery, equipment, and auto industries. The infrastructure and aerospace sectors will have individual schedules.
The delegation is going to travel on an aircraft of the Brazilian Air Force and transportation will be available to the appointments that are part of the mission’s schedule. All remaining costs will be up to the companies. The number of positions is limited, therefore there will be a selection process. The first country to be visited will be Iran, then Egypt, and finally Lebanon.
Further information and enrolment
Missions site of the Ministry of Foreign Trade: www.mdic.gov.br/missoes
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
