Brazilian companies to sell online in China
Chinese consumers will be able to buy Brazilian products online after Apex-Brasil, the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency, signed agreements with Chinese e-commerce platforms, Alibaba, IPIN and Jumore during the China International Import Expo.
Roberto Jaguaribe, president of Apex-Brasil, said the agreements were part of Brazil’s efforts to make the country's products more recognizable in China.
He said many Brazilian products entered China via business-to-business channels, so many consumers were using Brazilian products without knowing they were from Brazil.
“Brazil is a very big supplier of China but not products that consumers are aware of,” he said. “One of the things that we want to change is to create an ability to have products recognizable in supermarkets and e-commerce in China and we are making great efforts in this direction in all sectors.”
Jaguaribe believes that e-commerce, giving Brazilian producers direct access to Chinese consumers, will be the most important avenue for trading with China and promoting Brazilian products in China.
Jaguaribe said the expo was “a very attractive and positive initiative on the part of the Chinese government.”
“I think it will create many important new opportunities for China’s insertion in the world and the world’s insertion in China because China has been active in inserting itself outside but the world is not as active inserting here because of many things,” he said. “Now this is another opportunity to create a balance in the external trade of China which I think is going to be very attractive for all the countries in the world. Brazil is very excited about the new possibilities.”
Brazil's main presence in China is in the agriculture and food sectors, but it has brought new sectors to the expo.
“We have brought the service sector, the medical supplies and health sector, which I think will be very important,” said Jaguaribe. “But we also are confident that in the consumer-direct products, especially fashion and other areas, Brazil can be much more active in China. And we think that this event will be a door that will open new possibilities. We are not just present with firms at the event. There are several different delegations, which are not exhibiting their products, but have come because of the event to present themselves to the Chinese market, to increase their knowledge and awareness about Chinese market. And I’m sure that these firms will benefit from this experience as well.”
Brazil has five pavilions at the expo, including a pavilion for trade and investment and exhibition areas for food and agriculture, services, fashion and health. A total of 87 Brazilian companies are exhibiting products at the expo, including Cachacha (a spirit made from sugarcane), coffee, cheese, bread, nuts, clothing, shoes, footballs and dental products.
About 60 companies are from the food and beverage sector.
China is both the most important export destination and the most important source of imports for Brazil, accounting for 21.8 percent of the total exports from Brazil and 18.1 percent of its total imports in 2017.
One pavilion shows fashion of Brazil at CIIE
