UAE- The Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) has announced that Brazil exported USD15.50 million worth of hospital and medical products to the Arab world in 2013, continuously reflecting a strong and thriving bilateral trade between the South American country and the region. Egypt was the biggest importer, reaching USD 3.16 million worth of imported products. It was followed by Saudi Arabia (USD 2.92 million), Sudan (USD 2.51 million), Iraq (USD 1.48 million), and United Arab Emirates (USD 1.32 million).
During the same year, a big volume of pharmaceutical products from Brazil was exported to the Arab region, with imports reaching USD 11.57 million. Materials for orthopedic applications, artificial body parts, hearing aid as well as X-Ray, tubes, panels, photographic plates and films, and other medical, surgical, dental and veterinary equipment accounted for last year’s imported healthcare products.
In the first quarter of 2014, ABCC also said that products worth USD 2.66 million were exported from Brazil to the region, with the biggest shipment going to Saudi Arabia (USD 0.85 million) followed by Egypt (USD 0.54 million), Morocco (USD 0.22 million), Algeria (USD 0.21 million) and Tunisia (USD 0.19 million). Pharmaceutical products worth USD 1.65 million were exported to the Arab countries. Other imported products were materials for orthopedic applications, artificial body parts, hearing aid (USD 0.65 million); medical, surgical, dental and veterinary equipment (USD 0.21 million); photographic plates and films (USD 0.08 million); and X-Ray, tubes, panels (USD 0.07 million).
Dr. Michel Alaby, CEO of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, said: “The thriving bilateral trade in the healthcare sector between Arab countries and Brazil strongly reflects their long-standing and strategic trade partnership. This is especially crucial amid the flourishing healthcare sector in the region. We look forward to more robust trade relations between them. Rest assured that the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce will continue to do its part in terms of looking for more avenues to further expand and enhance their bilateral trade in the coming years.”
The Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce has been established to consolidate and expand partnerships, generate opportunities and bring Arab and Brazilian companies together. It has been in operation for 62 years, playing an active role in boosting economic, cultural and tourism activities and facilitating the flow of information between Arabs and Brazilians.