Cairo International Fair begins tomorrow

The event, which is multi-sector, is going to count on institutional participation of the Arab Brazilian Chamber. Egypt is one of the main trade partners of Brazil in the Arab world. Last year, the country was the second main importer of Brazilian products, with US$ 1.24 billion.

São Paulo – The 41st edition of Cairo International Fair, which begins tomorrow (18), in Egypt, is going to count on the institutional participation of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce once again. The event, which is multi-sector, brings business opportunities for companies in the agricultural, food, electric and electronic, textile, machinery and equipment, building material and handicraft sectors.

“Egypt is a traditional and important market for Brazilian trade. Last year, the country was one of our main partners. Among the Arab countries, it was the second main importer of Brazilian products, with US$ 1.24 billion,” stated Arab Brazilian Chamber president Antonio Sarkis Jr.

According to him, Egypt has a large population and the trade basket with Brazil is very diversified, being one of the main importers of Brazilian beef. “The Arab Brazilian Chamber believes in the potential of this market and, for this reason, is once again betting on participation in Cairo International Fair,” he added.

At the organisation’s stand, to cover an area of 54 square metres, two Chamber representatives, Francisca Barros, the foreign trade supervisor, and Jean Gonçalves da Silva, market development analyst, are going to help Egyptian companies interested in trading with Brazil and are going to promote the potential of the Brazilian economy. Silva is also going to try to develop new market research about the North African market.

Apart from the organisation representatives, the fair should also include the participation of Sérgio Teizen, the regional export manager at Starret, a company in the tool sector. According to him, the company recently closed a partnership with a local distributor, who is also going to be at the fair. “Our objective at the fair is to present the distributor to the Egyptian market,” he said.

Starret has already closed a sale of handsaws and band saws and blades to Egypt, to be shipped this week. “It was a small volume, for presentation,” said Teizen. The company, which is trying to enter new Arab markets, already exports to over 100 countries, among them the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

Fair

Cairo International Fair has been taking place since 1968 and is one of the main trade events in the country. Last year, the show counted on the presence of 28 participating countries and 913 exhibitors. Over one million visitors are expected up to Friday (28), the last day of the event.

Brazilian exports to Egypt last year generated US$ 1.24 billion, against US$ 1.34 billion in the previous year. The main products shipped were beef, iron ore, sugar, aircraft, calcinated alumina (for the production of aluminium), chassis with engines, soy, tobacco and paper.

On the other hand, Brazilian imports from the Arab country totalled US$ 52.77 million in 2007, which represented an increase of almost 80% over the previous year. Super phosphates, phosphates, cotton, instruments and equipment for medicine and cattle leather were the main items exported.