The cooperatives from the state of São Paulo, in the Southeast of Brazil, had revenues of US$ 414 million with exports last year, an increase of 47.7% over the US$ 279 million in 2003.
In volume, the expansion was of 34%. In other words, 2.15 million tons were sold, against 1.6 million tons in 2003.
This information corresponds to the total exported directly by the cooperatives, without intermediaries, and is based in the registers of the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade.
Alcohol and sugar cane products were the main products exported by the cooperatives, adding up to US$ 359 million, followed by the derivatives of soy, coffee, peanuts, fruits and flowers.
The state of Paraná cooperatives answered to half of the sector exports throughout Brazil in 2004. Of the US$ 2 billion sold last year, Paraná participated with US$ 992.21 million.
In the second place came the southeastern state of São Paulo, followed by the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, with an export volume of US$ 220.66 million (11% of the total).
According to a study by the Organization of Brazilian Cooperatives (OCB), among the ten largest markets for the sector, two are Arab. The highlights are the United Arab Emirates, the third largest buyer from Brazilian cooperatives.
Last year, the country imported US$ 132.9 million, losing only to China, the largest importer, with US$ 328.3 million, and Germany, with US$ 198.3 million.
According to the OCB, 94% of Emirati imports from cooperatives were sugar (a total of US$ 124 million). Algeria was the tenth largest trade partner in the sector, having spent, last year, US$ 61.2 million in products supplied by Brazilian cooperatives.
Anba