Isaura Daniel*
isaura.daniel@anba.com.br
São Paulo – Brazilian exports to the countries in the League of Arab States grew 36.8% in May this year in comparison to the same month last year, and reached US$ 601.24 million. In the accumulated result for the first five months of the year, sales have already reached US$ 2.6 billion and grown 26.6% as against the same months in 2006. "The strength of the Arab market has even been exceeding the appreciation of the Brazilian real (against the dollar)," stated the president Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Antonio Sarkis Jr. Last Tuesday the dollar ended the day at 1.94 Brazilian reais per dollar.
The Arab Brazilian Chamber president stated that the interest of Arab businessmen in Brazil has been growing in recent years, after the promotion of the Summit of South American – Arab Countries, so much so that the presence of delegations in the country has been rising. "In the last month, we received a delegation of Saudi businessmen, this month we are going to receive one from Egypt,” stated Sarkis. The Summit took place in Brazilian capital Brasília in May 2005, and included Arab and South American heads of state. The next will take place in Morocco, in 2008.
The Arab countries that posted the greatest increases in purchases from Brazil in the month of May were Djibouti, with growth of 990% in exports, to US$ 2.76 million, Mauritania, with 420% expansion, to US$ 10.32 million, Qatar, up 381%, to US$ 13 million, Kuwait, rising 194%, to US$ 24 million, and Oman, up 189%, to US$ 7.95 million. In the month, the largest volume was imported by Saudi Arabia, US$ 148 million, followed by Egypt, with US$ 133 million, the United Arab Emirates, US$ 91 million, Morocco, US$ 43 million and Algeria, with purchases of US$ 39 million.
In the accumulated result for January to May, the greatest increases were to Mauritania, whose imports from Brazil grew 800%, to US$ 48 million, Jordan, up 226%, to US$ 104 million, Qatar, with growth of 159%, to US$ 60.8 million, Syria, with purchases 136% greater, to US$ 77.4 million, and Oman, up 125%, to US$ 41 million. The greatest buyers in terms of volume were Saudi Arabia, US$ 564 million, Egypt, US$ 455 million, the Emirates, US$ 388 million, Morocco, US$ 198 million and Algeria, US$ 176 million.
Imports
Brazilian imports from the Arab world dropped in the month of May and also in the accumulated result for January to May when compared to the same periods in 2006. In May, sales from the Arabs to Brazil dropped 24.6%, totalling US$ 456.9 million. In the first five months of the year, the fall has been 3.13%, to US$ 2.1 billion. Bilateral trade between Brazil and the Arab world, however, rose 11% between January and May when compared to the same months in 2006, and reached US$ 4.8 billion.
*Translated by Mark Ament
