January 14, 2020- Brazilian exports to Arab countries reached USD 12.197 billion in 2019, registering a 6.3 percent growth from 2018, figures from the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) showed recently.  The latest numbers reflect the continuously growing trade relations between the country and the region.  

The value of the UAE’s imports from Brazil last year hit the USD 2.21-billion mark at 2.77 million tons, while Saudi Arabia purchased 3.48 million tons of goods worth USD 2.04 billion. Egypt and Oman bought 6.78 million tons of products amounting to USD 1.83 billion and 10.81 million tons of goods worth USD 937.58 million, respectively.  

The top Brazilian products exported to Arab countries during the period were poultry; cane or beet sugar and chemically pure sucrose; iron ores and concentrates; bovine meat; maize (corn); tubes, pipes, and hollow profiles; gold (including gold plated with platinum); soya beans; coffee, whether or not roasted or decaffeinated; petroleum oil and oil obtained from bituminous minerals; and motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for passenger transport.

In 2019, the total Brazilian chicken meat exported to the Arab world was valued at USD 2.38 billion at 1.49 million tons. The bulk of the product, which amounted to USD 790.63 million, went to Saudi Arabia at 469.76 thousand tons, followed by the UAE (USD 561.19 million, 342.21 thousand tons) and Kuwait (USD 177.43 million, 114.76 thousand tons).

For bovine meat, the Arab world imported a total of USD 1.17 billion at 354.5 thousand tons. The biggest importer during the year was Egypt at 162.66 thousand tons valued USD 476.69 million, followed by the UAE at 71.40 thousand tons worth USD 259.58 million (the imported value of bovine meat was 93 per cent higher than in 2018) and Saudi Arabia at 42.1 thousand tons worth USD 142.20 million. 

Rubens Hannun, President of ABCC, said: “The 2019 figures are a testament anew to the great trade ties between Brazil and the Arab region. Over the past years, we have witnessed uninterrupted growth in their export and import activities and we expect this trend to continue into 2020 and beyond -- riding high on the success brought forth by their shared commitment to sustaining a more productive trade partnership.”

“The figures reveal the high global demand for Brazilian beef, which is known for its quality and excellence. As the Arab region continues to buy Brazilian products in the coming years, the South American nation is also doing the same. We see reinforced relations between them as Brazil expands its reach in the region along with other global markets,” Hannun added.

The total Brazilian imports from Arab countries reached USD 6.99 billion at 17.29 million tons in 2019. Its top imported items from the Arab countries were mineral fuels; mineral oils; bituminous substances and mineral waxes; fertilizers; plastic; salt and sulfur; earth and stone; plastering materials, lime, and cement; organic chemicals; and fish, crustaceans and mollusks, and other aquatic invertebrates.