CHAIRMAN: DR. KHALID BIN THANI AL THANI
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: DR. KHALID MUBARAK AL-SHAFI

Qatar

QDB visits Brazil to boost bilateral trade

Published: 16 Oct 2017 - 01:10 am | Last Updated: 07 Nov 2021 - 05:18 am
Peninsula

The Peninsula

Qatar Development Bank (QDB) led a delegation of Qatari businesses to Sao Paulo to partake in a series of networking events and matchmaking sessions to deepen and strengthen bilateral commercial and economic relations.
QDB’s export development and promotion arm, Tasdeer, spearheaded the group of local manufacturers, using the close support and coordination of the Embassy of Qatar in Brazil and the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC).
The tour commenced with a reception event held at the ABCC. Then, the Chamber played a critical role in supporting QDB arrange two days of matchmaking sessions in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil’s economic hub.
The delegation, which included business representatives from Qatar’s agrifood, pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, and metals industries – was reported to be the biggest yet to arrive from the Middle East, according to the chamber.
Hassan Khalifa Al Mansoori, Executive Director of QDB’s Export Development & Promotion Agency (Tasdeer), during his address at the ABCC, said:  “Trading with Brazil is advantageous for Qatar as our businesses will gain access into a new market, forge ties with new trading partners and form new professional friendships with their counterparts in Brazil. To this end, I am indebted for the support extended to QDB by both the Ambassador of Qatar to Brazil, H E Mohammed bin Ahmad Al Haiki, and CEO of the ABCC, Michel Alaby.”
Al Mansoori added: “With this trip, we at Tasdeer planning to build on the past successes of Brazil-Qatar trade relations. Last year, Brazil exported QR1.39bn ($378m) worth of goods to Qatar and imported QR1.97bn ($532m) from Qatar. This year, we aim to reach new heights in Qatar-Brazil economic partnership.”
Through its research-driven export initiatives, Tasdeer regularly aims to assist all local enterprises, particularly those with the ability to export, to break into regional and international markets.
This latest trip to Brazil came against the backdrop of a recent research conducted by QDB on the Latin American country’s market.
The study took into account important aspects such as market size, average prices, market competitiveness, market needs, business culture, regulatory standards, as well as export procedures, trade laws, and compliance of Brazilian import-export documentation.
Since the establishment of Tasdeer, the exports development programme has successfully introduced Qatari exports to various world markets and reinforced the QDB’s support to local business through the provision of credit guarantees, services on trade finance, and risk hedging on invoices.  The scope and breadth of Tasdeer was recently recognised on the international stage when International Trade Center (ITC), a joint agency of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), nominated QDB for the 2016 Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) Award, under the category of the best development agency in a developing country.
Incidentally, QDB was the sole development agency shortlisted from amongst the countries in the GCC and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.