São Paulo – The Ambassador of Tunisia to Brasília, Nabil Lakhal, said on Monday (12) in São Paulo that his country is betting on increasing business with Brazil in the medium and long term. He plans to strengthen the diplomatic mission in Brazil to establish more relations with the country, in addition to investing in trade shows in Brazil, such as retail sector fair APAS Show, which started on Monday (12) at the Expo Center Norte in São Paulo.
Eight Tunisian companies are participating in APAS Show at one of the two stands organized by the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) at the exhibition, which also features companies from Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. Last year, Lakhal noted, six Tunisian companies attended the event. “Our goal is for Brazilians to invest in Tunisian olive oil. To achieve this, we’re organizing a tasting session at the ABCC, which will be an opportunity to learn more about Tunisian olive oil and dates, too,” he said, regarding a t initiative with APAS Show to promote Tunisian products for invited guests in São Paulo.
“For Tunisia, Brazil is a very important country because Tunisia’s policy is to seek partners. We have a strong relationship with the European Union, but we want to diversify our partners, and Brazil is one of the most important,” the diplomat told ANBA. “Tunisian olive oil is already sold in many commercial establishments, and we are now the top exporter of dates to Brazil,” he added. He mentioned that from 2023 to 2024, Tunisia’s olive oil sales to Brazil doubled and there is an increasing demand for Tunisian products in the country.
“Brazil is a country with great potential. We want to make exchanges. Brazil, for me, is the gateway to enter Latin America. For this reason, we opened a commercial office in São Paulo, a city with a very strong economy. For us, it is a strategic choice. And we have a good relationship with Brazil, which is a serious country,” he said.
The ambassador pointed out that a Brazilian business delegation will visit Tunisia next month, as well as Algeria and Morocco, two other Arab countries in North Africa. He mentioned that Tunisia and Mercosur – the customs union formed by Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay, and Paraguay – have already started discussing an agreement. However, the negotiation is expected to be lengthy. One option for the short term would be to negotiate a partial agreement with Brazil for specific products that are important for both countries. Olive oil, for instance, already benefits from tax exemptions in Brazil.
In addition to gaining broader access to the Brazilian and Latin American markets, the diplomat said Tunisia can also offer a large consumer market, as it can serve as a gateway for Brazilian products to the Arab world, Africa, and even the European Union, with which the Arab country already has trade promotion agreements.
An important part of the commercial, people, and investment exchange growth, the ambassador observed, involves the creation of direct air routes between the two countries, which currently do not exist. Lakhal said there is interest in operating a flight between Tunisia and Brazil, but for this to happen, enger demand must justify the investment. Part of this strategy began to take shape in April, the ambassador recalled, with the first participation of Tunisia’s tourism authority in a trade fair held in Brazil.
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Translated by Guilherme Miranda
