A RECENTLY concluded Brazilian trade mission to the Middle East has estimated it has won export deals worth $47.2 million either during its stay in the region or to be consummated during the next 12 months.

The deals involve 30 Brazilian companies and buyers in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Iraq, Oman, Bahrain and Jordan.

The Brazilian companies, which were primarily from the auto parts, food and beverage and housing and construction sectors, were involved in a total of 636 business meetings in Jeddah and Dubai with over 200 buyers from the region.

The mission was organised by the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) and the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade.

‘OVERWHELMED’
Commenting on the success of the mission, Mauricio Borges, president of Apex-Brasil, said: “We were overwhelmed by the business generated during this trade mission, which clearly underscores the strength of the trade relations between Brazil and countries in the Middle East and Levant regions.

“The mission created concrete opportunities for Brazilian companies to consolidate existing business in this important market and also facilitated the opening of new space for Brazilian products, while attracting investments to Brazil.”

COMPANIES HOPEFUL
One of the companies which had a successful experience during its first visit to the Middle East was Somopar, a furniture factory in Brazil. “We are seeking to tap the tremendous potential of the Middle East market, especially in the construction sector. This trade mission enabled us to establish six contacts and we have more or less finalised some major deals,” said Luiz Fernando Gasparoto, Export Manager of the company. 

Marc Olivier Dotto, who is responsible for the foreign trade area at Astra, a maker of bathroom products, also made contacts with building sector representatives in the region.

The trade mission also generated several business opportunities for companies in the food sector. Millen International received importers interested in wafers, filled biscuits and pretzels. “We have concrete perspectives for export to Saudi Arabia and Dubai. In at least three cases there are enormous business possibilities to be completed,” said Gilberto Millen, the company owner.

MBR, an exporter of food, also made a positive evaluation of the roundtables. According to Vanessa Costa, who works with the company representative in the Middle East, MBR was involved in productive meetings with importers with great buying potential. The company offers fruit and vegetables, industrialised food, cheese, juice, almonds and nuts, among other products.