Campinas – Bilateral trade between Brazil and the 22 Arab countries has grown sixfold since 1989. The added value of exports and imports was US$ 4.1 billion. In 2011, the flow totalled US$ 25.1 billion. This was among the information provided by the CEO at the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Michel Alaby, on Wednesday (27), in the second day of seminar “The Arab Brazil”, promoted by Sesc Campinas and Jerusalem Institute of Brazil.
Brazilians sales to the region grew almost fifteen times in the period. Among the main products that Brazil exports are meats, sugars and iron ore. Exports to the Arabs, in turn, which had fourfold increase since 1989, are based on sales of oil, oil products and fertilizers.
According to Alaby, the growth in bilateral trade is related to the growth of economies and to the expansion of population. He pointed out that the growth of trade is also due to institutions like the Arab Brazilian Chamber, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.
“The delegations, fairs, services provided to delegations and the promotion of [other] projects are activities aimed at closer ties between Brazilians and Arabs,” he said, after talk “The importance of the Arab Brazilian Chamber in the evolution of trade between Brazil and the Arab countries”.
Football and gastronomy
Also promoted were talks about the influence of the Arabs in development of Brazilian gastronomy and about how Brazil may use sports to help mediate conflict.
In talk “Sports as an important factor for the construction of peace in the Middle East”, the director of the department for defence of the rights of fans at the Ministry of Sports, Paulo de Castilho, stated that Brazil may use its main art, football, to help countries that are living conflicts to seek dialogue for peace.
“Football has already interrupted wars and conflicts like, for example, the presence of the Brazilian Team in Haiti in 2004. Why not take our experience [in football] and use our fame as a peaceful nation to contribute to the proliferation of peace in conflict zones? We may promote exchange, visit these countries and bring players here,” he suggested. “This could even help increase relations between Brazil and the Arab countries,” he said.
The day was also “tasty”. In his talk “Arab and Brazilian gastronomy”, the history of gastronomy professor of Anhembi Morumbi University, Ricardo Maranhão, revealed that adoption, by Brazilian cooks, of some seasonings, methods of preparation and even some meats used by the Arabs, took place even before the great migratory flow to the country, in the 19th and 20th centuries, as there had already been an influence in Portuguese cuisine when the Arabs dominated the Iberian Peninsula.
“They then influenced local cuisine. There are even people who think that cabbage and grape rolls are a Brazilian invention,” he said, regarding the dish made basically out of rice and minced meat wrapped in grape or cabbage leaves.
Seminar “The Arab Brazil” ends on Sunday (30). Until then, there will be music presentations and other talks. The menu of the Sesc Campinas restaurant will include an Arab recipe each day. The visitors may also visit an exhibition with decorations, Arab clothes and flags of the countries of the Middle East and North Africa.
Service
The Arab Brazil
Sesc Campinas – Rua Dom José I, 270/333
Further information: (+55 19) 3737-1500
The complete programme (in Portuguese) may be viewed on site: http://www.sescsp.org.br/sesc/programa_new/busca.cfm?conjunto_id=10202
*Translated by Mark Ament
