JEDDAH – Arab exports to Brazil hit $3.4 billion between January and April 2012, 37 percent up from a year earlier, official data released by Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) showed.



The figures unveiled that Algeria was the top Arab partner for the largest economy in Latin America, with $1.5 billion worth of trade, followed by Saudi Arabia with $723 million and Kuwait $378 million. The majority of the exports consisted of oil and oil products, fertilizers and plastics.

On the other hand, exports to the MENA region from Brazil rose 3 percent from the same period a year earlier to $4.2 billion.



Leveraging the strong trade relations between Brazil and the Arab countries, the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and Apex Brasil will be organizing a specialized networking event titled “Food Sector Buyer Project 2012 in Sao Paulo, Brazil on July 9-14.



Following a recent ABCC-led trade mission to the UAE, Kuwait and Jordan, the upcoming event has already generated major interest from Arab companies involved in the food and beverage business, given the business matchmaking platform that the event presents.



Saudi Arabia was on the top of Arab importers with $953 million worth of trade, followed by the UAE with $812 million and Egypt with $595 million. The majority of imports were sugar, meats, ores, cereals and vegetable oils. – SG