Iron Ore Makes Espí­rito Santo Brazil’s Second Largest Exporter to Arabs

Brazil’s southeastern state of EspÀ­rito Santo has risen from fifth to the second place among the largest Brazilian exporters to the Arab countries.

Between January and November, the state had revenues of US$ 506.2 million with sales to the League of Arab states. Only the state of São Paulo had greater revenues with exports to the region, US$ 1.9 billion.

In the first eleven months of 2004, Espí­rito Santo exported just US$ 273.4 million to the region, less than Rio Grande do Sul, which was the second largest exporter that year, and Paraná and Minas Gerais, the third and fourth respectively. Sales from the state to the Arabs rose 85% up to November this year as against those in the same months last year.

"Our sales almost doubled," stated the president of the Espí­rito Santo Union of Export and Import, Severiano Imperial. A large part of the increase took place due to the sales of iron ore, which grew 98.8%.

Industries from the state had revenues of US$ 454.6 million with iron ore exports to the Arab world between January and November this year, against US$ 228.7 million in the same period in 2004.

Mining companies Vale do Rio Doce and Samarco, that produce the ore, have operations in the state. Samarco is in the city of Anchieta and Vale is located in Vitória, the state capital.

At the beginning of this year, Vale signed a contract with Qatar Steel Company (Qasco) for the supply of 2.66 million tons of iron pellets up to 2010. The Middle East and Africa answer to 25% of Samarco exports. "The companies work with long term contracts," stated Imperial.

Espí­rito Santo, incidentally, exceeded the state of São Paulo in terms of volume exported to the Arab countries, despite having had lower revenues. The state shipped a total of 6.1 million tons to the region, whereas exports from the state of São Paulo totaled 5.1 million tons. Apart from iron ore, Espí­rito Santo shipped products like coffee, milk, sugar, granite, furniture, meats, footwear, juices, garments and sweets to the Arabs.

"Espí­rito Santo is increasing exports of ornamental stones," recalls Imperial, referring to granite. According to him, the businessmen from the sector are more aggressive. They participated, for example, in a trade mission organized by the Ministry of Foreign Relations to the United Arab Emirates and to Saudi Arabia at the end of the year. The coffee producers, according to the president of the Union, are also working hard on the quality of the product.

Currently the largest exports from the state of Espí­rito Santo are iron ore, followed by cellulose, semi manufactured iron products, steel and other alloys, marbles and granites and coffee. The state also exports products like fruit, furniture and garments, but at lower levels.

Exports from Espí­rito Santo reached US$ 5.06 billion between January and November, with growth of 35% over thee same period in 2004. This percentage should remain up to the end of the month, according to Imperial.

The president of the Union is optimistic regarding the performance of the local economy next year. According to him, the companies in the state are investing and expanding their operation.

Vale and Samarco, as well as Aracruz Celulose and Companhia Siderúrgica de Tubarão (CST), which are based in state, are investing or are going to invest in Espí­rito Santo.

Anba – www.anba.com.br

Tags:

You May Also Like

A charcoal producer poses in front of the charcoal kilns he works at, in Brazil. Image: Thomson Reuters Foundation/Fabio Teixeira

Thousands Work as Slaves in Brazil’s Charcoal Industry

For more than a year, Antonio slept with a wasp nest humming above his ...

Brazil Counting on New Minimum Wage for Economic Boom

The minimum wage in Brazil will be raised in May from US$ 96 (260 ...

Brazil: Sí£o Paulo and Rio Have Become Quite Expensive to Live In

Thanks to a strong appreciation of the Brazilian Real against the US dollar, São ...

Brazil’s Mafia Boss Orders End of Rebellion from Maximum Security Cell

According to daily O Estado de S. Paulo, the order to stop the rebellions ...

Brazil Expecting 1.5% GDP Boost from 2014 World Cup

According to Ilan Goldfajn, chief economist of the Brazilian Itaú Unibanco Holding, Latin America’s ...

Brazil Targets Blacks and Women in New AIDS Campaign

The Brazilian government started yesterday, World AIDS Day, an awareness campaign among Brazilians that ...

Rebelo’s Turn

Some have dismissed his initiative as just "the paranoia of the Brazilian left-wingers", but ...

British Government Warns: Brazil’s Varig Airline Is on the Brink of Collapse

The United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office is warning the British population about Varig ...

Brazilian cachaça Pitú

New Distributor Vows to Make Brazil’s Cachaça Pitíº Popular in the US

Pitú, a popular cachaça brand in Brazil, should soon have widespread distribution in the ...

In Over 50 Countries Brazil’s Simas Spells Sweet Treat

The sweets produced by Simas, company in the city of Macaí­ba, in Brazil’s northeastern state ...