Dubai – Companies from the United Arab Emirates are interested in importing more products from Brazil, but they are eyeing prices. Brazilian businessmen and those from Dubai participated on Thursday (20) in business roundtables in the emirate, as part of a trade delegation to the Middle East promoted by the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex), with the support of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce.
“It was a great idea to organize this event prior to the Gulfood,” said Neela Depala Robberstad, managing director at Asaat, a food distributor headquartered in Dubai, referring to the food sector fair to take place in the Emirate next week. Most of the companies in the delegation are in the food sector. “[Brazil] is a very interesting market, but this is a place in which prices must be thought of very much,” she added.
She does not import many Brazilian products, but is interested in starting to buy all kinds of Brazilian products.
Mohamed Ali Mechraoui, the executive manager at Transcontinental Food Company (TFC), which owns brand Sam’s, present in the Middle East and North Africa, observed that the country figures as one of the main food suppliers for the region, especially chicken. He himself buys the products from Brazil. According to the executive, this is a customer demand.
Cesar Reis, foreign trade manager at Marilan biscuits, said that he made positive contacts on Wednesday with businessmen who fit the profile sought by the company, i.e. distributors who represent the brand well, who supply all channels and who cover the whole country. The brand sells to the region, but not yet to the Emirates and Saudi Arabia, where the delegation was early this week. “Selection [of contacts] was very good,” he said.
Humberto Salvador Afonso, a director at Alibra, said that local businessmen placed many questions about the products and stated that some of the Brazilian products are very expensive as against those of other countries. “Brazil is expensive, the ‘Brazil cost’ is weighing heavily,” he pointed out.
This is mainly valid for dairy, one of the main lines offered by the company. There was, however, much interest in the novelties, and the company presented that in the form of different juices, like banana; orange, banana and papaya mix; banana and orange; red fruit; guaraná; juices with chitosan – a substance that helps reduce and absorb fat -; and the line of cereals for babies. “We believe that [the contacts] may become business, we must follow up”, he said.
Wood order
In the area of wood, Igor Kaufel, from WK, said he made good contacts and that on Monday, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, he signed a contract with a local distributor to export 20 containers of sawed wood. He already sells to the Emirates, but this is his first order from the Saudi city. Competition, however, will not be easy. “Romania is giving away wood,” he said.
Another person commenting on the Romanian prices was Douglas da Silva, from trading company Daune, from Santa Catarina. He, however, liked the contacts made and said that, on returning to Brazil, he is going to discuss with suppliers the possibility of lowering prices to close deals in Dubai.
The export manager at Unicasa, Juliano Barreti, in turn, said that the company sold well in the Emirates prior to the international financial crisis, in 2008, when the construction business in the emirate suffered a drawback. The company owns brands like Dell Anno and Favorita, of planned furniture. Now, in his evaluation, the sector seems to have returned to growth. He received an order to provide price estimates for a hotel and hopes to receive at least two or three more, which may become contracts in future.
*Translated by Mark Ament
