Organised by the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade (MDIC), the Brazilian Ministry of External Relations (MRE) and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil), the trade mission will bring business executives from 50 Brazilian enterprises and trading companies, to represent a variety of the country's export sectors.
"The African continent is a prominent destination for Brazilian exports, especially manufactured products with higher added value. The region presents itself as an important platform for the internationalisation and installation of new industrial plants. Brazil stands out as a reliable supplier of innovative technological solutions to multiple sectors in countries like South Africa, which is an undeniably attractive market for information technology suppliers," says Mauricio Borges, president of Apex-Brasil.
Although the mission is mainly focused on the technology sector, it also comprises such segments as food & beverages, housing and civil construction, medical and dental equipment, toiletries, cleaning and cosmetics, machinery and equipment and agribusiness technology.
The trade mission's program includes an opening seminar, a press conference and business rounds with South African buyers. In addition, Brazilian trading companies will take part in business meetings with executives from Southern African countries that include Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi. Participants will also be offered either guided technical visits or individually scheduled visits to local companies.
Over the period January - August 2011, Brazilian exports to South Africa totalled US$ 1.12 billion. During the same interval, Brazil imported US$ 806.48 million from its South African counterparts. Brazilian exports represented chiefly frozen poultry, whole birds (US$ 134.44 million), motor vehicles with internal combustion engines (US$ 71.23 million), road tractors for semi-trailers (US$ 70.99 million), cane/beet sugar and chemically pure sucrose (US$ 58.8 million) as well as iron ore agglomerates and concentrates (US$ 36.27 million).
During the eight first months of 2011, Brazilian imports from South Africa consisted mainly of anthracite coal, not agglomerated (US$ 76.12 million), palladium, unwrought or in powder form (US$ 49.05 million), internal combustion engines for motor vehicles (US$ 47.95 million), aluminium alloy plates (US$ 37.55 million) and herbicides (US$ 27.83 million).
This forthcoming trade mission is one of several organised trade missions that Apex Brasil has hosted to South Africa and the region in the past several years, with the goal of transferring knowledge, exchanging ideas and strengthening and developing trade and investment relationships.
Attendance is free to accredited and approved South African buyers. To participate, email az.oc.stcejorpedart@hgiel.
