The negotiations between entrepreneurs from Brazil and importers and exporters from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Yemen and Palestine, who came to Brazil in a trade mission, ended February 14, in the city of São Paulo. About 200 Brazilian entrepreneurs participated in the business roundtables.
Among the participants of the meeting was Roberto W. Miguel, director president of Pad, company specialized in automated solutions for storage, based in the city of Indaiau, in the southern state of Santa Catarina.
According to him, the company is already negotiating contracts in the Middle East. “We are negotiating 35 machines with a big importer and distributor of the Hering brand in the Middle East,” he said.
According to Miguel, the storage system, which may or not be refrigerated, is vertical and intelligent, in other words, it uses software for stock management with 100% national technology.
“It can be programmed to warn me when and who took something out, when the good is replaced, or still when the product is ending,” he said.
The trading company Curaçao of Brazil, based in São Paulo, participated in the roundtables to sell building material, electronics, furniture, organic and non-organic foods and garments.
Curaçao, founded by Dutchmen 30 years ago, with annual revenues of about US$ 5 million, already exports to Australia and some countries in Asia.
Last year, the company hired trade specialist Alexandre Gardin exclusively to prospect the Arab and East European markets.
“I would like to sell between US$ 200,000 and US$ 300,000 during the mission, he said.
“I believe, however, that the roundtables will serve mainly for contacts and should generate future business,” stated Gardin, who will travel to various Arab countries to prospect clients, with business potential in Morocco, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the Emirates and Lebanon.
Project for Trade Promotion
Another businessman who participated in the first day of business roundtables was the Syrian Saleh Hatoum, living in Brazil for 26 years, owner of a shirt company, Brites, in the city of Maringá, in the southern state of Paraná.
As well as making contact and presenting his products to the Arab businessmen, Hatoum took to the meeting a project for opening a representation office in Lebanon or Jordan. “The establishment of this office will be my starting point for all the Arab countries, both in the Middle East and North Africa,” he stated.
Among the possible functions of the office are establishing contacts with the trade entities; establishing partnerships in many areas, both with the Brazilian government and the private sector; motivating Arab entrepreneurs to invest in Brazil; saving costs and time for both the Brazilian and Arab entrepreneurs; following the Brazilian products and collecting useful information about acceptance, price and use, which may help exporting companies to conquer the region’s market. “A very competitive body to body work is necessary,” he said.
From the city of Jundiaí, in the interior of the state of São Paulo, the company Atlântica Internacional, which trades raw material for juice and fruit concentrates, participated.
“We already export to some Arab countries, such as Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. It is a new and strong market,” stated Flávia Breternetz, export representative of the company. Yesterday she made business contacts with entrepreneurs from Jordan, Yemen and Palestine.
US$ 200,000 in Business
From the Arab side, Jordanian entrepreneur Mohamad Assad Kawasmi, director of the trading company Mohamad Assad Kawasami & Sons, hopes to import US$ 200,000 in Brazilian products, mainly from the textile sector, such as lingerie, socks, bikinis, baby articles, men’s and women’s clothes in general.
“I made about 20 contacts with Brazilian entrepreneurs,” he said. As well as the trading company in Jordan, Kawasami also owns a juice powder factory in Dubai, in the Emirates.
The Palestinian, Wael Adel Kassess, director at the Sama Trading Company, is interested mainly in Brazilian sweets, furniture, juices and shoes.
“I was impressed with the quantity of products I was offered, from chocolates, furniture and clothes to car batteries,” he said.
The businessman made contacts with, approximately, 40 companies. Sama Trading Company already imports from Turkey and China. “It will be the first time we will import from Brazil. I thought the products were fantastic, I am proud with what I saw,” stated Kassess.
Business roundtables start with good business perspectives
Arabs, Iraq, Jordan, Yemen, Palestine
Geovana Pagel
Middle East Woos Brazilian Entrepreneurs
Middle East
The negotiations between entrepreneurs from Brazil and importers and exporters from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Yemen and Palestine, who came to Brazil in a trade mission, ended February 14, in the city of São Paulo. About 200 Brazilian entrepreneurs participated in the business roundtables.
Among the participants of the meeting was Roberto W. Miguel, director president of Pad, company specialized in automated solutions for storage, based in the city of Indaiau, in the southern state of Santa Catarina.
According to him, the company is already negotiating contracts in the Middle East. “We are negotiating 35 machines with a big importer and distributor of the Hering brand in the Middle East,” he said.
According to Miguel, the storage system, which may or not be refrigerated, is vertical and intelligent, in other words, it uses software for stock management with 100% national technology.
“It can be programmed to warn me when and who took something out, when the good is replaced, or still when the product is ending,” he said.
The trading company Curaçao of Brazil, based in São Paulo, participated in the roundtables to sell building material, electronics, furniture, organic and non-organic foods and garments.
Curaçao, founded by Dutchmen 30 years ago, with annual revenues of about US$ 5 million, already exports to Australia and some countries in Asia.
Last year, the company hired trade specialist Alexandre Gardin exclusively to prospect the Arab and East European markets.
“I would like to sell between US$ 200,000 and US$ 300,000 during the mission, he said.
“I believe, however, that the roundtables will serve mainly for contacts and should generate future business,” stated Gardin, who will travel to various Arab countries to prospect clients, with business potential in Morocco, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the Emirates and Lebanon.
Project for Trade Promotion
Another businessman who participated in the first day of business roundtables was the Syrian Saleh Hatoum, living in Brazil for 26 years, owner of a shirt company, Brites, in the city of Maringá, in the southern state of Paraná.
As well as making contact and presenting his products to the Arab businessmen, Hatoum took to the meeting a project for opening a representation office in Lebanon or Jordan. “The establishment of this office will be my starting point for all the Arab countries, both in the Middle East and North Africa,” he stated.
Among the possible functions of the office are establishing contacts with the trade entities; establishing partnerships in many areas, both with the Brazilian government and the private sector; motivating Arab entrepreneurs to invest in Brazil; saving costs and time for both the Brazilian and Arab entrepreneurs; following the Brazilian products and collecting useful information about acceptance, price and use, which may help exporting companies to conquer the region’s market. “A very competitive body to body work is necessary,” he said.
From the city of Jundiaí, in the interior of the state of São Paulo, the company Atlântica Internacional, which trades raw material for juice and fruit concentrates, participated.
“We already export to some Arab countries, such as Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. It is a new and strong market,” stated Flávia Breternetz, export representative of the company. Yesterday she made business contacts with entrepreneurs from Jordan, Yemen and Palestine.
US$ 200,000 in Business
From the Arab side, Jordanian entrepreneur Mohamad Assad Kawasmi, director of the trading company Mohamad Assad Kawasami & Sons, hopes to import US$ 200,000 in Brazilian products, mainly from the textile sector, such as lingerie, socks, bikinis, baby articles, men’s and women’s clothes in general.
“I made about 20 contacts with Brazilian entrepreneurs,” he said. As well as the trading company in Jordan, Kawasami also owns a juice powder factory in Dubai, in the Emirates.
The Palestinian, Wael Adel Kassess, director at the Sama Trading Company, is interested mainly in Brazilian sweets, furniture, juices and shoes.
“I was impressed with the quantity of products I was offered, from chocolates, furniture and clothes to car batteries,” he said.
The businessman made contacts with, approximately, 40 companies. Sama Trading Company already imports from Turkey and China. “It will be the first time we will import from Brazil. I thought the products were fantastic, I am proud with what I saw,” stated Kassess.
Translated by Silvia Lindsey
ANBA ”“ Brazil-Arab News Agency