The export of building materials from Brazil to the GCC region for the third quarter of this year has reached $25.61 million, the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) has revealed.

In addition, the total level of machinery exports from Brazil to the GCC region from January to end of September of this year has reached $116.69 million.

The posted figures reflect the strong and thriving bilateral trade ties between Brazil and the whole GCC region, ABCC said.

In terms of its building materials, Brazil’s global exports hit $4.94 billion. During the same period, the UAE accounted for 57.4 per cent of the total transactions to reach $14.71 million, followed by Saudi Arabia ($8.13 million) and Qatar ($1.27 million).

Kuwait ($660,000), Oman ($630,000), and Bahrain ($170,000), meanwhile, witnessed over 60 per cent year-on-year growth and are expected to see higher trade numbers.

Michel Alaby, secretary general and CEO, ABCC, said, “The thriving bilateral trade in the machinery and building material sector between Gulf countries and Brazil strongly reflects their long-standing and strategic trade partnership. This is especially crucial amid the flourishing of machinery and building material sector in the region.”

From January to end of September of this year, the GCC imported mostly plywood and other laminated wood products from Brazil, with the transaction value hitting $3.46 million.

These were followed by granite ($3.3 million) and appliances for pipes and boiler shells ($2.85 million). Brazilian export value for kitchen glassware, articles of iron and steel, and parts of valves and pipes witnessed an exponential jump in 2014, increasing over 334 per cent, 1,268 per cent, and 4, 312 per cent, respectively.

In the UAE, in particular, the country has imported $2.79 million worth of granite; $2.99 million in pressure valves; $2.79 million in transmission trees; $2.58 million in bulldozers and angle dozers; and $2.01 million in air pumps.

At the GCC level, total machinery exports reached $116.69 million from January to October 2014. The UAE accounted for $67.3 million, representing 57.6 per cent of the total value. It was followed by Oman ($2.61 million), Qatar ($1.49 million), Kuwait ($1.24 million), and Bahrain ($190,000).-TradeArabia News Service