With open market, Egyptians export garlic to Brazil

Fresh Garlic

China

Chile

Francielle Rozzatti

Published Sep 15, 2020

Egypt has become one of the main international garlic suppliers in Brazil since the national market was opened for the product, in June last year. Two months later, in August, the Arab country was already selling garlic to Brazilians, in a trade that generated US$ 2.3 million in 2019. This year, in the first eight months alone, exports reached US$ 5 million, according to the Secretariat Foreign Trade (Secex).

As a result, Egypt has become Brazil's fifth-largest international garlic supplier, behind traditional suppliers such as Argentina, China, Spain and Chile. In a few months, the Egyptians were even in the third and second positions.

"There are great export opportunities for Egyptian garlic in the Brazilian market," he said. The garlic harvest in Egypt runs from September to July and in the last period, exports from the Arab country reached 40 thousand tons, which generated more than US$ 42 million. Garlic is one of the oldest plants in Egypt and was found carved in the temple of the pharaohs.

According to information provided by the general director of Trade Agreements in the Agreements and Foreign Trade Sector of the Egyptian Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Michael Gamal Kaddes, the coronavirus outbreak contributed to the increase in external demand for Egyptian garlic, since it is of a product that strengthens the immune system against the virus. According to the general director, this increase in demand was noticed mainly in countries like Taiwan, Netherlands and Brazil.