Brazilian exports to Arab countries reached $11.27 billion from January to November 2019, up 8.01 per cent compared to the same period last year, according to latest figures released by Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC).

Similarly, the country’s imports from the Arab region experienced significant growth that amounted to $6.401 billion, said a statement.

The bulk of the Brazilian goods were shipped to Saudi Arabia at $1.817 billion; Egypt, $1.733 billion; and the UAE, $2.069 billion, it said.

The South American country’s imports from Saudi Arabia amounted to $2.022 billion; Egypt, $286.46 million; and the UAE, $523.81 million.

The export products mainly comprised meat from bovine animals and poultry; footwear; cane or beet sugar and chemically pure sucrose; iron ores; maize (corn); tubes, pipes and hollow profiles; gold; and soya-bean oil and its fractions. Brazil’s footwear exports to the UAE climbed by 68 per cent year-to-date through November, the Brazilian Footwear Industry Association (Abicalçados) reported.

Revenue from the sales to the UAE also increased. Year-to-date through November, Brazil saw a turnover of $11.3 million from the sales to the Middle Eastern country from $9.2 million a year ago. It was a 23 per cent growth.

Brazil’s chicken meat exports, meantime, reached $2.171 billion from January to November 2019. The top three destinations of the product were Saudi Arabia at $727.46 million; the UAE, $520.79 million; and Oman, $117.04 million . Meantime, the value of Brazil’s bovine meat exports amounted to $1.109 billion.

The top three countries were Egypt, $462.14 million; the UAE, $246.2 million; and Saudi Arabia at $128.21 million.

On the other hand, the top import products included mineral fuels; mineral oils; bituminous substances and mineral waxes; fertilisers; plastic; salt and sulphur; earth and stone; plastering materials,; lime and cement; organic chemicals; fish, crustaceans and mollusks, other aquatic invertebrates, preparations of vegetables, fruit, nuts or other parts of plants; and glass and glassware.

Rubens Hannun, president, ABCC, said: “The latest trade figures continued to reflect the growing trade relations between Brazil and the Arab region.”

“We are confident that their ties will remain robust by the end of the year up until 2020 amid expanding trade opportunities. We will continue to facilitate trade prospects and partnership formation between them and help improve their trade relations,” he said.

“Thanks to the shared commitment by both parties, products from Arab countries continue to find newer markets in Brazil and we expect these figures to rise further next year,” he added.

For over 67 years now, the ABCC has been working continuously to connect Brazilian and Arab people together in the move to promote economic, social, and cultural development.