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Three hundred Brazilian companies are participating in business roundtables with importers from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Yemen and Palestine. The roundtables that started today and will continue today are taking place at Renaissance hotel, in the city of São Paulo, the main business center in South America.
Among those interested in negotiations with the foreigners are from small companies, like Beth Bebê, which makes infant clothes in the interior of the state of São Paulo, to large companies like Sadia, in the meats sector, Faber Castel, of school material, importer and exporter Cotia Trading and Vicunha, from the textile sector.
A company called Fic/Phihong from the city of Santa Rita do Sapucaí, in the interior of the south-eastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, also plans to talk to the Arab businessmen about the installation of an electronic equipment factory in the region. The company, which has 60% Chinese and 40% Brazilian capital, is after a site to open a new unit.
One of the countries considered is Russia, according to Wellington Vasconcelos Fontes, the executive manager of the Association of Exporting Companies from the Valley of Electronics (Avalex Electronics), a consortium in which Fic/Phihong is included.
However, the company is also interested in studying the Arab world. "There is a possibility of our negotiating a joint-venture, technology transfer or even opening a factory in the region," stated Fontes.
During the business roundtables, Fic/Phihong will be represented by the Avalex consortium, which includes seven companies that make electronic products in the Santa Rita do Sapucaí region. Beside over one hundred other companies, they form a sector hub in the region.
The consortium was established around three years ago and started exporting to Latin America. Participation in the roundtable is an attempt to expand their foreign markets. "Now we want to look at another side of the world," stated Vasconcelos.
The consortium is going to offer the Arabs low power FM radio equipment, equipment for telecommunications, dentistry and hospital applications, as well as power sources for radio communications and intercoms, among other products.
The executive manager of Avalex also wants to talk to the Arabs about the interests of the Santa Rita do Sapucaí city hall, so as to attract investment to the city.
Apart from housing the National Telecommunications Institute, the city also offers training for personnel for the electronics product industry. "We have the entire production process," he said.
Lightning Conductors
Another company interested in expanding its participation on the foreign market through the business roundtables with the Arabs is electric product maker Balestro, from Mogi Mirim, in the interior of the state of São Paulo.
The company already exports to South, Central and North America, and sporadically to Asia, but now plans to come closer to the Arab market. Company owner Carlos Eduardo Balestro is going to be at Renaissance hotel so as to discuss the possible homologation of company products in the region.
Balestro produces lightning conductors, insulators, transformers and circuit breakers. These kinds of problems normally need homologation from energy distributors in those countries so as to be used on the local market. Balestro is a medium sized company that has 30% of its revenues from exports.
For Children
Beth Bebê, a children's clothes producer from the city of Socorro, in the countryside of the state of São Paulo, is going to participate in the roundtables with the intention of entering the foreign market. The factory does not export yet, but they started making foreign contacts for foreign sales last year.
"We already made contact with importers from the Middle East during the FIT (the International Fair of the Infant, Juvenile and Baby Sector) and they liked our products," stated the company financial manager, Paulo Martins. This is the first time that the company participates in a business roundtable. "We hope to make deals," he said.
Among the remaining companies registered for participation in the roundtables are Klin, a producer of shoes, trading company Global Guiders, Madeireira Uliana, which makes wooden frames, Niasi, cosmetics, truck maker Scania, and Iguatemy coffee.
Translated by Mark Ament
ANBA – Brazil-Arab News Agency
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