Brazil could increase yerba mate exports to Arabs

São Paulo – Yerba mate produced in the Brazilian state of Paraná was the subject of a seminar this Tuesday (11) organized by the state’s investment program, Invest Paraná. Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) economist Sotirios Ghinis spoke about the paths to the Arab market at the event. He pointed out there is demand in the Arab countries for yerba mate, and Brazil could export more of the product to the region. According to the economist, the leading importers of yerba mate among the 22 Arab countries in 2021 were Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates. The primary exporters of the herb to the Arabs in the same year were Argentina, Paraguay, Germany, and the United States. The Arabs imported USD 50.71 million in mate, equivalent to 24% of world imports in 2021, and of these, Brazil sold only USD 74,000 to them. In 2022, the result was even smaller. Brazil exported to the Arabs USD 1,000 last year, equivalent to 0.001% of its mate exports. The ...