Energy-Arizona^1.4

http://www.anba.com.br/ingles/noticia.php?id=15670

[08/21/2007 - 11:00]

The Middle Eastern representative of the Castle chemical product manufacturing company, Fred Shammas, is interested in introducing ethanol into the Arab country. He visited the Arab Brazilian Chamber stand in the Damascus International Fair seeking further information about the product.

Marina Sarruf*

marina.sarruf@anba.com.br

São Paulo - The Middle Eastern president at the Castle chemical product manufacturing company, Fred Shammas, is interested in buying ethanol from Brazil. The businessman visited the stand of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce in the Damascus International Fair, in Syria, to obtain further information about the product. "We supplied him with the contact to the São Paulo Sugar Cane Agroindustry Union (Unica), and told him that we are available to help him," said the Market Development coordinator at the Arab Brazilian Chamber, Rodrigo Solano, who is at the fair.

According to him, the businessman wants to introduce ethanol into Syria, but in order to do so he needs to establish a partnership with the local government. This is not the first time that a businessman from an Arab country shows interest in Brazilian ethanol. Recently, representatives of Sudan's largest sugar company, the Kenana Sugar Company, were in Brazil seeking information about the product.

In the Middle East, Shammas' company, Fredy World Est. Trade and Industry, distributes many different products by Castle, such as industrial disinfectants, lubricants, fat removers, waxes, fuel cleaners, among others. Castle owns offices and representations in various countries, such as Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Canada, the United States, and Puerto Rico.

Besides Shammas, other businessmen visited the Arab Brazilian Chamber stand at the fair. "We have already been visited by more than 40 companies seeking meat, coffee, sugar, furniture, domestic utensils, agricultural machinery, and auto parts from Brazil," said Solano. According to him, all of the contacts to the Syrian companies will be available at the organisation's Foreign Trade department.

During the fair, Solano also visited some Syrian exhibitors and noticed that there is much interest among them in exporting to Brazil. Products range from stimulant pills to carpets, olive oil, and dry fruit. Solano also said that the Syrians are seeking ways of exporting directly to Brazil. In a meeting with the secretary-general at the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce, Mohamed Firas, the interest by Syrian companies in exporting olive oil, for example, directly to Brazil, was discussed, because currently the Syrian product reaches the country through Italy and Spain.

The fair, which will continue until Wednesday (22), is one of the main business events held in the country. The Arab Brazilian Chamber participates in the fair on an annual basis, and this year, more than 30 Brazilian companies sent catalogues and promotional folders to be distributed at the event.

*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum