São Paulo – Brazilian exports to the Arab countries grew 25% in the accumulated result for the year up to September as against the same period last year. According to the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, sales revenues to the region reached US$ 11 billion in the first nine months of the year, as against US$ 8.7 billion in the same months in 2010. In September alone, however, there was a 4% reduction.
According to the CEO at the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Michel Alaby, the drop in September was expected. “August is normally stronger, due to purchases for Ramadan, falling in September, only to return to growth again in October, November,” explained Alaby. The CEO said that by the end of the year expansion is expected to be at a similar level to now.
The growth in sales revenues was US$ 2.27 billion in the accumulated result for the year. The main buyers, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the Emirates, Algeria and Morocco, expanded their imports. Those of the Saudis rose from US$ 2.2 billion to US$ 2.6 billion, Egyptian purchases rose from US$ 1.3 billion to US$ 1.7 billion, those of the Emirates, from US$ 1.2 billion to US$ 1.6 billion, Algeria’s climbed from US$ 590 million to US$ 1.1 billion and Morocco’s purchases rose from US$ 482 million to US$ 586 million.
Among the products exported by Brazil to the region, the products that normally top the list of imports had greater sales. That includes sugar, meats and iron ore. Wheat was not a product exported to the Arabs from January to September 2010, but was added to the list in the same period this year. There was significant growth in sales of maize, from US$ 241 million to US$ 437 million.
In September alone, however, the situation was different. Brazilian exports dropped 4%, from US$ 1.42 billion to US$ 1.36 billion. In this case, Egypt reduced purchases, as did Saudi and Algeria. The three nations are among the five main buyers of Brazilian products in the region. The other two in the list, the Emirates and Morocco, imported more. In September there was a reduction in exports of items like sugar and maize.
Imports
Brazilian imports from the Arab world, in turn, expanded both in the comparison with the first nine months of last year and with September alone. From January to September, purchases grew 42%, to US$ 7.3 billion. The main suppliers were Algeria, Saudi, Morocco, Iraq and the Emirates. The products topping the ranking were oil, naphtha for the petrochemical industry, aviation fuel, dihydrogen and liquefied propane.
In September, Brazilian imports from the Arab world totalled US$ 907.8 million, growth of 39% over the same period in 2010. The main suppliers were Algeria, Iraq, Morocco, the Emirates and Kuwait. In the month, there was growth in shipments of naphtha for the petrochemical industry and, mainly, in dihydrogen and other kinds of fertilizers. "Due to the grain crop,” said Alaby. Imports of crude oil dropped.
*Translated by Mark Ament
