Brazil seeks to diversify, boost exports to Arab Emirates
Despite having Arab countries as its third largest commercial partner, Brazil has potential to explore new markets in the region, said Karen Jones, operational head at the Dubai office of the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency, Apex-Brasil. Jones spoke during a meeting for the press in the United Arab Emirates on Monday (Feb. 21).
Jones named a few products with high added value, such as auto parts, medical equipment, items for construction, the air sector, and defense, and personal hygiene items and cosmetics. “There’s good demand in Africa, especially for keratin-based products. It’s interesting to think of the Arab Emirates not just as a target country, but as a hub for re-exportation,” she declared.
As it stands today, the main goods exported by Brazil to the Arab peninsula are meats, iron ore, sugar and alcohol by-products, cereals, and soybeans. The sales to Arab countries come second only to China and the US.
In 2021, trade between the two nations added up to $3.3 billion, with Brazil having exported $2.3 billion and imported $977 million—mostly oil and fertilizers. The gap stands at a $1.3 billion surplus for Brazil.
One of the sharpest surges comes under fresh and processed eggs, up 81.5 percent in 2021 from 2020. The United Arab Emirates rank first among the destinations of this product, accounting for 6.9 thousand tons of the total 11.3 thousand tons.
Under meats, Brazilian agribusiness has specialized in halal certification. The certificate warrants the observation of Islamic precepts and reduces animal suffering. Brazil stands among the main producers of halal protein on the planet.
Viewed as crucial to the desert country, Brazilian agribusiness has a great deal of room for expansion. “The Emirates are a region where food security is a great concern. It’s a country that imports more than 80 percent of its consumption in foods and drinks. That’s what Brazil’s role is, as a strategic partner,” Jones noted.
*Reporter Fernanda Cruz and photographer Tomaz Silva traveled at the invitation of Apex-Brasil.
