Brazilian agribusiness exports to the Arabs yielded US$ 337.5 million in July, an increase in 43.5% in comparison to the US$ 235.2 million in the same period 2004. The figures were disclosed by Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture.
The increase was a lot greater than that registered for total shipments in the sector, which added up to US$ 4.072 billion in the month, with a variation of 8.7% in relation to July last year.
“This shows what we have been saying: the Arab countries already are important importers in the sector, but there still is a great share of the market to be won,” said the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (CCAB) president, Antonio Sarkis Jr. “We hope the increase is always above national average,” he added.
With the performance, the Arab countries’ participation in the sector’s exports increased from 6.27% in July 2004, to 8.29% in July this year. “The Arab countries import 90% of the foodstuff they consume and Brazil has a natural tendency of being a great supplier,” stated Sarkis.
Egypt was the Arab country that imported agribusiness products from Brazil the most in July, the equivalent to US$ 80.2 million, or 51% more than in the same month in 2004. In second place is Saudi Arabia, with the equivalent to US$ 63.6 million in imports, an increase in 30.7% in comparison to July last year.
Following in the ranking of the 10 main destinations in the region are the United Arab Emirates, with US$ 42.1 million in purchases; Algeria (US$ 36.3 million); Kuwait (US$ 17.5 million); Morocco (US$ 16.6 million); Yemen (US$ 16.5 million); Syria (US$ 14.6 million); Tunisia (US$ 11.7 million); and Lebanon (US$ 8.5 million). Amongst them, the ones that grew the most as markets for the Brazilian products in the period were Tunisia (397%), Yemen (289%), Kuwait (173%) and the Emirates (107%).
According to information from the Ministry of Agriculture, general exports in Brazilian agribusiness in July were driven mainly by the meats shipments, sugar, alcohol and coffee. The Arab countries are great importers of beef and poultry and sugar.
Year’s Performance
In the year’s accumulated value, revenues with shipments to the Arab world reached US$ 1.816 billion, an increase in 19.5% in comparison to the US$ 1.52 billion in the period between January and July 2004.
Once again the increase was much greater than that registered for total shipments in the sector, which yielded US$ 24.273 billion in the first seven months in 2005, or 9% more than in the same period last year.
The Arab market’s participation in total agribusiness exports went from 6.83% in the first seven months in 2004, to 7.48% in the same period this year. “The Arab market for agribusiness products is great and the Brazilian companies are starting to exploit it better,” concluded Sarkis.
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