UAE, June 12, 2017- The Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) has welcomed the Kuwaiti Government’s announcement to import livestock from Brazil, saying that this new landmark development will lead to stronger and more vibrant trade ties between the two nations. 

The decision authorizing the Brazilian livestock exports was finalized during the meeting held in Kuwait City between Brazil’s Minister of Agriculture H.E. Blairo Maggi and Kuwaiti officials H.E. Mohammad Al-Jabri, Minister of State for Municipal Affairs and Chairman of the Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources, and H.E. Khaled Nasser Abdullah Al Roudan, Minister of Commerce and Industry. 

H.E. Zahra Al-Wazan, Deputy General Director of Animal Health of the Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources, confirmed the two countries’ latest cooperation. Reports said both sides agreed on the sanitary and technical specifications for the animals to arrive safely to the Arab state. 

 H.E. Al-Wazan was also part of the meeting with the visiting Brazilian delegation during which the Kuwaiti authorities expressed their interest in importing livestock, fertile eggs, and one-day chicken from Brazil. 

Rubens Hannun, ABCC President, said: “As an organization that has been working on fostering the economic, culture, and tourism links between 22 Arab nations and Brazil, the ABCC welcomes this new partnership between Kuwait and Brazil. It is indeed an important milestone in the growing trade relations between both countries and we are eager to witness the two sides capitalizing on the many opportunities and benefits of such strategic cooperation will bring. We are excited to facilitate and take an active role in the subsequent dynamic trade activities between them to ensure smooth trade processes and maximized potentials.”     

According to the data from the Ministry of Industry, Foreign Trade, and Services (MDIC), the trade volume between the two nations reached USD 485 million last year, with authorities looking at developing other trade opportunities to reinforce their relations. Poultry is presently the main Brazilian product being exported to Kuwait. 

The Arab country’s livestock demand ranges from 6,000 to 10,000 head annually as per H.E. Abdulrahman Kandari, Livestock Imports Manager at the Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources.  Kuwait joins Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan, among others, in the list of Arab nations importing livestock from Brazil. 

Reports also said that the reopening of Kuwait’s market to Brazilian beef is on the horizon, with plans of sending a local technical mission to the South American state to visit the latter’s farms and labs and after the conditions for the export clearance of chilled and frozen beef to Kuwait were established. Saudi Arabia and Qatar resumed importation of Brazilian beef more than a year ago.