São Paulo – Exports from Brazil to the Arab countries were stable in the first month of this year as against the same period last year, at US$ 1.083 billion. In January 2011, they had totalled US$ 1.087 billion. "It was practically the same,” said the CEO at the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Michel Alaby.
The CEO recalls that the first months of the year, January and February, tend to be months of lower sales to the region, as it is a period in which importers tend to sell off their stocks. According to Alaby, the winter of the Northern Hemisphere, where the Arab nations are located, makes transport there more difficult, so shipments are anticipated.
According to figures compiled by the Arab Brazilian Chamber, based on figures disclosed by the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, there was 4.97% growth in sales to the countries of the Gulf (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Kuwait and Oman), growth of 3.1% in export to the nations of the Levant (Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria) and 7.33% reduction in sales to North Africa (Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, the Comoros, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Somalia, Sudan and Tunisia).
The country that imported most from Brazil, among the Arabs, was Saudi Arabia, with US$ 224.7 million and reduction of 3.6% in purchases as against the same month in 2011, followed by Egypt, with US$ 202 million and growth of 22%; the Emirates, with US$ 193 million and growth of 93%; Algeria, with US$ 75 million, a reduction of 43.4%; and Morocco, with purchases of US$ 71.6 million, 13% less than in January 2011. There was growth in sales of sugar, aluminium, meats and rice, but a reduction in shipment of products like ores, soy oil and maize.
Brazilian imports from the Arab world, in turn, grew significantly, 131%, to US$ 759 million. The main supplier was Saudi Arabia, with US$ 367 million and 73-fold growth. The second was Algeria. Shipments by the country, however, dropped 24%. There was growth in oil and aviation fuel purchases, among other products of the sort. In January, the trade balance was favourable to Brazil, at US$ 324.8 million, and bilateral trade totalled US$ 1.8 billion.
*Translated by Mark Ament