Alexandre Rocha
São Paulo – The Tunisian ambassador in Brazil, Hassine Bouzid, said, on Tuesday (October 28), in an interview to ANBA, that there are investment opportunities for Brazilian businesses in the North of Africa.
"Together with the Brazil Arab Chamber of Commerce (CCAB), and industry federations in the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul, and Paraná, we are examining possible investment projects in important sectors such as the shoe, leather and furniture industry. There are many possibilities. We are very optimistic in relation to increased cooperation between the two countries", said Bouzid, who accompanied the secretary-general of the Constitutional Democratic Rally (RCD), Ali Chaouch, to the XXII Socialist International Congress in São Paulo.
According to Chaouch, Tunisia has a free trade agreement with the European Union (EU) for industrialized products made in the country. Bouzid says this permits Brazilian companies to install factories in Tunisia to "re-export" products to Europe, taking advantage of the special tariffs that are not offered to Brazil.
Chaouch added that over two thousand foreign companies are operating in Tunisia and the local government provides "favorable tax rates" to industries interested in installing plants in the country. "Apart from that, we have a modern infrastructure, a modern telecommunications system, well educated labor, and our proximity with Europe", added the RCD secretary-general.
Trade
Bouzid also stated that Brazil, like Tunisia, can diversify commercial operations. Trade between the two countries is still very low. Last year, import and export totaled US$ 104.7 million.
Between January and September this year, Brazil exported US$ 34.7 million, and the main products shipped were sugar, tractors, soy oil, corn, transport vehicle chassis, and coffee, and US$ 21.4 were imported, mainly in fertilizers.
The ambassador pointed out, though, that it is possible for Brazil to grow in export of equipment and industrialized products in general. The same can happen to the Arab country, he said. "Tunisia is different from the other Arab countries which have petroleum as their main export product, 80% of our export is industrialized products", he stated.
Among these products, says the ambassador, are auto parts, electronic industry parts (integrated circuits), and manufactured textile products. "Our country exports US$ 450 million in auto parts and electric wire to Europe. We are the fourth largest exporter of textile products to the European continent and the first in trouser export", he stated.
Chaouch said that trade between the two countries has had a "substantial increase" in recent years, but "it is certainly possible to do much more". "Brazil produces many items, agricultural and industrialized products, and Tunisia also has an advanced industrialization level, representing over 25% of country Gross Domestic Product (GDP)", he declared.
He added that there are "similarities" between the two nations and "possibilities" for increased trade. "We have excellent political relations. Now it is time for Brazilian and Tunisian businessmen to get to know each other and establish joint projects", he concluded.
