São Paulo – Business opportunities for Brazilian companies present at Khartoum International Fair, in Sudan, are not limited just to Sudanese importers. Yesterday (03), in the second day of the event, the Brazilian stand – organized by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, received visitors from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Kenya and Austria.
"We noticed this characteristic of multiplicity of nationalities in the second day. The Brazilians made excellent contacts, between 30 and 40 per company. A very significant number as it is a fair open to the public," said Rafael Abdulmassih, Market Development Analyst at the Arab Brazilian Chamber. According to him, as the fair begins in the late afternoon, some businessmen make use of the mornings to visit clients and prospect business opportunities more closely. "The visits were important to identify the purchase potential and the variety of suppliers present in the country," he pointed out.
Serlac, a maker of dairy products, was the company that promoted the greatest number of external visits. "I spent the day in the street, visiting clients, large and small markets, to see what Sudan has to offer. I noticed a great variety of brands, mainly European, Middle Eastern and Oceanian," said the company trader, Luiz Mizutani, who participated in the fair for the first time.
"There are over 10 different brands of dairy products, showing a great market, with good prices and excellent opportunities. I visited several companies that demonstrated great interest in our kind of product, from importers and processors to factories that already import from Brazil and are interested in establishing partnerships," said Mizutani. Serlac already exports powdered milk to most Arab countries in North Africa.
Wissam Saidah, a representative at Cotrimex, a producer and exporter of ornamental stones, pointed out how much Brazilian granite and marble attracted the attention of visitors. "The day was very productive. We received the visit of a Jordanian who imports ornamental stones and was impressed with our products. He does not yet buy from Brazil, but made many questions and seemed greatly interested in closing deals," said Saidah. "Today I also had the opportunity of speaking to other exhibitors in our sector, in Jordan, Egypt and Sudan, and it was important to exchange information and experience regarding the potential of the region," he finished off.
The multisectorial fair, which ends in the Sudanese capital on Saturday (7), counts on Brazilian companies in the food and building material sectors.
*Translated by Mark Ament
