LONDON
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said the Arab world’s budget amounted to nearly $20 billion, some of which came from the South American nation’s recent participation in Expo Dubai.
At the opening of the Economic Forum of Brazil and the Arab Countries in Sao Paulo on Monday, Bolsonaro said the Arab market is Brazil’s third-largest foreign market, after China and the United States, and acknowledged that in 2021, the industry between Brazil and the Arab League nations reached “a record” of more than $24 billion.
“This figure is expected to continue to rise. From January to April, Brazil’s exports to the Arab world increased from $4 billion in 2021 to $5. 2 billion in 2022,” Bolsonaro said, adding that last year Algeria was Brazil’s top trading partner in Africa. Egypt is one of the largest markets for Brazilian beef.
Bolsonaro also spoke about food security and said ties with Brazil and the Arab world had gained momentum.
“As the foreign network strives for global food security, the link between Brazil and the Arab world is strengthened. Even in the face of the demanding situations imposed by the pandemic, we have not stopped playing our component in the food source. Brazil is now the world’s largest exporter of halal protein. In addition to the poultry and beef trade, our exports of sugar, soybeans and wheat are also growing. In contrast, 26% of the fertilizers that supply Brazil’s agribusiness come from the Arab world.
Morocco remains one of the main suppliers of fertilizer to Brazil after Canada and Russia, according to Bolsonaro.
Brazilian Vice President Hamilton Mourao also noted that 80 percent of the industry destined for Arab markets is agricultural products, while the main imports are mineral fuels and fertilizers.
It promoted greater collaboration with Arab partners, especially in the spaces of generation and investment.
He pressed that relations with the Arab world have evolved since 2003, adding that “Brazil has the largest manufacturer of halal protein in the world and is racing to supply other products adapted to the customs and traditions of the Islamic religion. “
The fourth Brazil-Arab Economic Forum was promoted through the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce for relations between Brazil and the 22 countries of the League of Arab States, with industrial delegations from Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, among others.
Brazil has 18 diplomatic representations in the 22 that make up the Arab League.
There are about 10 million other people in the Arab network in Brazil.