Cairo – Egypt's food industry earned USD 31 million from exports to Brazil last year, but the figure is still considered modest, and there are opportunities for the country to double it. This statement was made last week to Egyptian businesspeople by the regional director of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) office in Cairo, Michael Gamal, at the seminar“Opportunities to develop food exports from Egypt to Brazil.” The online event was organized by the Food Export Council of Egypt (FEC), with the participation of the Economic and Commercial Office of Egypt in Brazil. Pictured above, Egypt's booth with the ABCC at the last edition of the APAS Show, in 2022.

According to Gamal, the quality of Egyptian exports, whether crops or processed foodstuffs, allows the country to enter the vast Brazilian market easily. The executive said many Egyptian companies have already managed to enter the Brazilian market and are currently prioritizing it, giving preference over other regions, after discovering promising prospects.

Gamal claims Egyptian companies have a competitive edge over other Arab or Middle Eastern firms, as Egypt is the only country in the region that signed a free trade agreement with Mercosur, a bloc made up of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay. The agreement allows Egyptian products to enter these countries with a reduction or waiver of customs tariffs.

He said the supermarket sector represents 7.5% of the Brazilian Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and has achieved a high growth rate. Gamal also mentioned the food sector in Brazil is one of the most prominent in the country's import and export basket. With a population of 220 million inhabitants, the equivalent of two-thirds of the Arab world, Brazil poses a great prospect to exporters to enter and expand in this market.

APAS show

Michael Gamal spoke to the Egyptians about the APAS supermarket sector show in São Paulo, Brazil, from May 15 to 18 and presented it as an opportunity for exporters interested in selling to Brazil to gain visibility. It is the biggest show in the sector in Latin America, attended by importers from Brazil and several other Latin American countries. The ABCC will have a stand for Arab companies interested in exhibiting their products at APAS.

Gamal pointed out that despite the predominance of foodstuffs in the event, APAS includes other products such as beverages, equipment, and technology aimed at the supermarket sector. According to Gamal, the show's last edition received 111,571 visitors from different countries, with USD 30 million in business. Eight hundred nineteen exhibitors participated, and there were 78 lectures and parallel activities with specialists.

Gamal explained there are still spaces available for exhibitors at the ABCC stand at APAS. He also revealed the ABCC is organizing a trade mission to Brazil in parallel with the show with companies from Egypt, Tunisia, and Sudan. The idea is to help companies explore the Brazilian market.