São Paulo – Arab buyers and Brazilian companies taking part in the World Cup Buyer Project believe the initiative may be conducive to deals in the next few months. Sponsored by the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) in partnership with the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, the project brings two importers from the United Arab Emirates and one from Kuwait this week. On Monday (9th) and this Tuesday (10th), they attended a matchmaking round with Brazilian foodstuff enterprises at the Arab chamber offices, in São Paulo. Next Thursday (12th), they will watch the FIFA World Cup opening match, Brazil vs. Croatia, at the Buyer Project’s invite.
“This initiative is a great opportunity for us to meet with Brazilian suppliers. It is a means to developing relationships and making contact, as well as promoting business,” said the franchise department manager for Dubai’s Al Islami Foods, Talal Al Jarem. He has travelled to Brazil seeking frozen meats, especially chicken. “Brazil is known for being the world’s premier poultry producer,” he said.
The purchasing manager for Dubai’s T. Choithrams & Sons, Saneep Khimnani, said that the company should resume talks with Brazilian salespeople over the next few months, and that the Buyer Project is a means to fostering business. “Initiatives such as this are good because they place you directly contact with companies that are looking to sell what we are looking to buy. This saves time and increases the chance of doing business,” he said.
On the second day of matchmaking, executives from T.Choithrams & Sons, Al Islami and Alyasra, from Kuwait, received manufacturers of dairy products, coffee, snacks, soy-based sauces, vacuum-packed foods and sweets. The matchmaking round held last Monday (9th) featured 11 Brazilian companies. This Tuesday (10th), 18 local companies have attended.
To the export manager at the vacuum-packed food company, Luiz Fernando Mion, the Buyer Project may help fuel negotiations with the participating Arab clients. “This is a way to foster relationships, because the delegates are attracted into watching the World Cup matches. In return, they are put in touch with Brazilian enterprises. I believe the meetings we have had here may yield results in the medium term,” he asserted.
The foreign trade coordinator for milk and dairy manufacturing company Piracanjuba, Silvana Oliveira, said the meetings with Arab buyers may open doors for the company’s products in months to come, especially powdered milk, condensed milk and cheese. “Bringing them to Brazil was a good idea. However, negotiation in this industry takes a long time, despite the fact that we have exported to Arab countries in the past and we boast halal certification (in accordance with Islamic food production rules),” she said.
Dairy promotion
Other dairy companies have engaged in matchmaking this Tuesday. Prior to the event, executives from the “B Dairy” industry project promoted by the Apex and the Organization of Brazilian Cooperatives (OCB) gave an overview of the Brazilian dairy industry to the Arab buyers. The “B Dairy” project was devised to increase Brazilian milk and dairy exports. Brazil is the world’s fourth leading milk producing country, with an annual output of 32 billion litres. Of these, approximately 5% are shipped abroad. The project’s goal is to increase exports, and Arab countries are the main targets. Out of eight markets shortlisted as priorities, five are Arab: Algeria, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. The other three are China, Angola and Venezuela.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
