São Paulo: Brazil’s exports to Arab countries in 2016 totaled USD 11.47 billion, a decline of 5.34% over 2015. The volume shipped reached 35.91 million tons, down 18.69% in the same comparison. The data was provided by the Ministry of Industry, Foreign Trade and Services (MDIC) and organized by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce. “There was a drop in oil prices, a drop in maize output, a significant decline in poultry prices and beef remained stable. In 2016, beef exports to Saudi Arabia returned, however, they had already found many [alternative] suppliers,” explained Michel Alaby, CEO of the Arab Chamber, talking about the main causes that drove down the numbers. However, Alaby also points out that there were positive aspects in the trade between Brazil and the Arab countries last year, such as sales of USD 8.627 billion in foodstuff and cereal to the region, which accounted to 12.4% of Brazil’s total exports of the sector. In 2015, it accounted for 12% of all the sector’s exports.
The executive said that Arab nations such as Comoros Islands and Yemen, which weighed very little in Brazil’s foreign sales, increased its imports of local products. Exports to Comoros Islands, Africa, for instance, increased 37.38% in volume and 119.97% in revenues. To Yemen, there was a 63.51% increase in volume and revenues went up 79.15%. “A positive factor was the increase in sugar prices. Comoros Islands and Yemen increased their imports due to sugar,” he said. Imports by Djibouti, another Arab country, “increased significantly,” said Alaby. The volume of sales by Brazil to the country went up over 1,000% last year, while revenues increased 531%. Iraq also bought more from Brazil last year, especially beef and sugar.
