São Paulo – Importers from Sudan want to expand purchases of Brazilian agribusiness products. The matter was discussed on Sunday (31st) at a meeting between the presisdent of the Sudanese Businessmen Association, Abdul Kader Al Saud, and other directors at the organisation, the secretary general at the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Michel Alaby, and the secretary of the Brazilian embassy in Khartoum, Pedro Yacoubian. Alaby is in the capital of the African country to participate in Khartoum International Fair, a multisector fair that began yesterday.
“We discussed trade relations between both countries as well as the needs of local busienssmen,” said Alaby. According to him, the Sudanese are interested in expanding their imports of sugar and buying products like soy oil, maize and sorghum.
Last year, sugar answered to the largest part of exports from Brazil to Sudan. Shipments of the product generated US$ 63.7 million, in a total of US$ 97.34 million in products shipped, according to the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade. There was no trade of other agricultural items mentioned by the Sudanese.
According to Alaby, Saud stated his intention of travelling to Brazil in April with a trade delegation.
Yesterday morning, Alaby, the ambassador of Brazil to Khartoum, Antonio Pedro, Yacoubian and the head of the Fair Division at the Brazilian Foreign Office (Itamaraty), Flávio Marcílio Sapha, met with the Americas Relations Director at the Foreign Ministry of Sudan, Tariq Hassan Abusalih. The Arab Brazilian Chamber is participating in Khartoum Fair in partnership with the Itamaraty.
They spoke about the presence of Brazil in the fair for the fifth time running, especially in the area of infrastructure. Abusalih said that there is hardship in obtaining financing of Brazilian banks for the promotion of bilateral trade.
The diplomat said, according to Alaby, that the main company in the sugar and alcohol sector in the country, Kenana Sugar Company, should build a refinery with Indian financing and equipment made in India, although the project is developed by a Brazilian engineering company. Last year, Kenana inaugurated an ethanol mill built with material imported from the Brazilian Dedini.
The Brazilians also met the executive director at the Sudanese Foreign Ministry, ambassador Yassir Mohamed Ali.
The fair
Yesterday, the fair was opened by the vice presidient of Sudan, Ali Osman Mohammed Taha. Apart from the Arab Brazilian Chamber and the Itamaraty, the Brazilian stand also included shoe sector company Grendene, through its local distributor, Niniah Trading, furniture factory Fiasini and the JBS group, in the meat sector, whose representative should arrive in Khartoum today.
The fair, according to Alaby, includes 550 exhibitors, among them countries like Indonesia, India, Iran, Egypt, Kenya, Turkey, China, Belarus, Mexico, Greece, Cyprus and Austria, as well as Brazil.
The secretary general at the Arab Brazilian Chamber also explained that, during a visit to one of the main shopping centres in the city, Afra, he saw a kiosk with an advert for the Ipanema sandals, made by Grendene. The sandals were sold for 10 Sudanese pounds, approximately US$ 4.50.
*Translated by Mark Ament
