São Paulo – Two Palestinian businessmen are visiting Brazil this week to seek deals. Mohsen Zalloum (pictured, L) is the chairman of the company Zalloum, which imports Brazilian candies and cookies, while Raed Bayed (R) owns the food company Al Faloja Foods, which imports beef and fish. Both represent the Hebron Chamber of Commerce in Hebron, a city in Palestine 36 kilometers south of Jerusalem.
The executives spent seven days in Brazil visiting suppliers. Zalloum said he visits Brazil regularly. “I usually come once a year, but I may come twice a year from now on,” he said.
Zalloum’s company first worked with Brazilian products in 2008, when it started importing candies and cookies. One of the company’s suppliers is Bauducco. “I’m seeking to increase the volume [imported from Brazil]. And I want to export from Palestine to Brazil, maybe some products such as olive oil,” he pointed out, saying that he’s studying prospects for the Brazilian market.
Bayed’s first trip to Brazil, however, occurred in 2001, for a foreign trade conference. Then, he began purchasing Brazilian beef and now he has deals with the company Minerva Foods. Al Faloja imports an average of 1,000 tonnes of Brazilian beef per month to Palestine. Raed’s long-term plan is to start some business like a plant in Brazil. “There’s still no definite date, but it’s a goal,” he explained.
Visit to the Arab Brazilian Chamber
The executives took the opportunity to visit the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday (31) and address relations with the Hebron Chamber of Commerce. Zalloum is Hebron Chamber vice chairman, while Bayed is the its Public Relations coordinator. The meeting with the Arab Brazilian Chamber secretary-general Tamer Mansour was how they chose to end their trip to Brazil.
“We feel comfortable here. We’ve known this Chamber for so long and have so many investments in the country. We’re here to improve Brazil-Palestine relations,” Zalloum pointed out. The meeting addressed, for instance, a cooperation agreement between both chambers. The agreement of understanding is expected to be signed soon. “We haven’t agreed yet about when it will be signed; maybe we’ll have to come back to Brazil. But we’ll invite Tamer and the Arab Brazilian Chamber president to visit us in Palestine,” he added.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
