Marina Sarruf*
São Paulo – Trading company Taurus, from the United Arab Emirates, wants to open a Brazilian furniture showroom in Dubai next year. The general manager of the company, Navid Nikmorad, is in São Paulo to find businessmen interested in investing in the business. He is one of the six investors from the Emirates, Jordan and Lebanon who are participating in the International Trade Fair for Furniture Exports and Sales (Fenavem), which began yesterday (01) in the Anhembi exhibition pavilion.
Nikmorad is after Brazilian companies interested in exhibiting their products in Dubai. "We are after Brazilians to invest in this idea," he said. To participate, those interested must pay a fee that has not yet been defined. "We are going to invite architects and interior designers to decorate the space so as to privilege Brazilian products. We want to set up the space in an area of prestige in Dubai," he added.
This is the first time that the representative from Taurus comes to Brazil. Among the main products that the trading company imports are chairs, tables, shelves, and cupboards for homes and hotels. According to Nikmorad, the company only imports furniture from Spain, but they also intend to start buying from Brazil. Apart from Spain, the trading company imports fabrics, lighting fixtures and carpets from Germany and distributes them in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Dubai, Bahrain and Qatar. "We are open to discuss business with Brazilian companies," he said.
Naser Tahboub, the importer from Jordan, in turn, who owns trading company Tahboub, is interested in establishing joint ventures with Brazilian furniture industries. "We must establish partnerships and work together to increase business between Brazil and the Arab countries," he said. According to him, the products could be made in Brazil and finished in Jordan.
Tahboub believes that Brazil has potential in the furniture sector and has competitive prices. However, he declared that Brazilian companies must learn more about Arab consumers and make products that are more in accordance with the local tastes. "Brazilian businessmen must visit the Arab market more so as to learn more about it," he said. According to him, Brazilian furniture is still little known in the Arab countries. "Except for Dubai, the trade of Brazilian furniture with other Arab countries is very small," he said.
The Jordanian trading company imports, apart from furniture, upholstered products, cabinets and bathroom products. "We work with different products. Everything that is necessary for setting up of a house," stated Tahboub, who imports from 15 countries, among them the United States, Germany, Canada, Spain, Italy, Malaysia and Indonesia. "We purchase around 20 containers a month," stated the businessman.
Another importer, also from Jordan, Mahmoud Farmawi, a member of the Jordanian Furniture Association and general manager of company Interiors, from Amman, stated that Brazilian products are very different from those that the Arabs are used to. "Even the dimension standards are different, mainly for bedroom furniture," he said. The businessman hopes to find products made out of solid wood.
Business roundtables
The Brazilian Furniture project, which brought thirty buyers to the fair, is the result of a partnership between the Brazilian Export Promotion Agency (Apex) and the Brazilian Furniture Industry Association (Abimóvel). Apart from the Arabs, businessmen from Mexico, Panama, Peru, England, France, Germany, Slovenia, Cape Verde, Australia, New Zealand and Russia are also participating.
According to the administrative and financial manager of the Abimóvel, Carlos Henrique Moreira, the business roundtables with importers should generate US$ 8 million in the five days of the fair. Moreira believes in the twelve months after the fair many contracts will still be closed and the value of the business may rise as high as US$ 12 million.
According to Moreira, almost all of the importers participating in the roundtables have never done business with Brazil.
Exports
According to the president of the Abimóvel, Domingos Rigoni, Brazilian sector exports should reach US$ 1.1 billion this year, against US$ 941 million last year. However, for the minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, Luiz Fernando Furlan, who was at the opening of the Fenavem, Brazilian participation in the global market is still insignificant. "In three years this sector should more than double exports," he said.
The 24th edition of the Fenavem is organized by Messe Frankfurt Feiras and counts on the presence of 350 exhibitors in an area of 22,000 square metres of space. Around 50,000 visitors are expected on the five days of the fair, 50% more than last year. A total of 2,500 foreign visitors are expected. The fair ends on Friday (05).
*Translated by Mark Ament
