Brazilian confectionery companies shine at ISM
Brazilian confectionery companies participating at ISM 2020 achieved almost $4 million in closed deals, with an expectation of reaching almost US$ 24 million during the next year.
The 50th anniversary of the event, which took place in Cologne between 2-5 February, saw a diverse range of product innovations represented from around the world.
“These results signal another year of expansion of Brazilian exports of confectionery and confirm the importance of ISM for our sector”, says Ubiracy Fonsêca, president of Abicab (Brazilian Chocolate, Peanut and Candies Manufacturers Association), who features in our next edition (April) of Confectionery Production.
The Brazilian delegation at this year’s ISM was formed by 20 confectionery and biscuits companies: Bauducco, Berbau, Cacau Show, Cory, Divine, Dori, Embaré, Francfort, Garoto, Hershey’s do Brasil, Jazam, Marilan, M. Dias Branco, Montevérgine, Neugebauer, Peccin, Simas, Santa Edwiges, Soberana and Toffano.
Participation in the event was organised jointly by Abicab and Abimapi (Brazilian Manufacturers Association of Biscuits, Pasta and Industrialised Breads and Cakes) via the Brasil Sweets and Snacks and Brazilian Biscuits projects, promoted in partnership with Apex-Brasil (Brazilian Trade and Investments Promotion Agency).
During the fair, Brazilian companies made more than 800 contacts with international buyers, of which about 500 were new. Businessmen from countries such as the USA, Canada, Mexico, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Israel and Palestine visited the Brazil Pavilion. Meetings were also held with representatives from Turkey, Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica, South Africa, Madagascar, Libya, Congo, South Korea, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Suriname, Netherlands, Armenia, Spain, Australia, Russia, Argentina, Portugal, Mauritania, Mali and the Netherlands.
Cory, which already exports to 57 countries, returned to Brazil carrying almost 50 cards of contacts made in the event, 20% of which have a chance to become future partnerships. “The result was more than expected,” says Arthur Fernando Jorge, the company’s export manager, who returned to exhibit at ISM after four years away.
“We had meetings that are expected to evolve in countries such as Hungary, Ukraine and Georgia, as well as Finland, Israel and South American nations such as Colombia and Chile. We expect a 10% growth in export earnings in the next 12 months”, he adds.
“An interesting case was that of executives from Chile, who tried our product in Punta Arenas, in the extreme south of the country, and came specifically to visit us. With them, we have already closed the sale of a container worth around US$ 30 thousand here in Cologne”, stresses Jorge.
Peccin closed sales of $130 thousand with customers in Haiti and Venezuela at the fair. “We have a quality audience at this fair and we are able to hold meetings with customers that we normally cannot find during the rest of the year”, reports the company’s trader, Lautaro Alesso. “We hope, from this participation, to earn US$ 700 thousand dollars in the next 12 months”, he says.
Jazam was able to open new markets in the USA, South Korea and Japan. “The good thing about this fair is that the buyers are very specialised, always focused,” says Regiane Zambon, the company’s CEO. Jazam, which already exports to about 40 countries, also managed to close deals in Cologne with new customers in Argentina and Palestine. “The growth in export earnings from this event is expected to be around 20%,” says Zambon.
Cacau Show, manufacturer of handmade chocolates with more than 2,200 points of sale in Brazil, participated for the first time at ISM and left the fair satisfied. “In addition to promising contacts, we have achieved a better perception of the needs and possible market niches for export,” says Márcio Barboza, manager of expansion in new businesses at Cacau Show. He reports having received visits from businessmen from South America and Eastern European countries.
Hershey’s Brasil obtained about 50 new contacts. “The outlook is good,” says , the company’s export analyst. “We practically closed deals with three new customers in Hungary, Belarus and the Czech Republic. And we have good prospects, as they showed a lot of interest”, she says, celebrating the possibility of reaching new markets. Until the fair, the company had been exporting only to countries in South America.
Also new to ISM, Santa Edwiges returned to Brazil with almost 80 new contacts in their luggage. “Four of them, with executives in Libya, Ukraine, South Africa and the Dominican Republic, have great chances of becoming an effective deal in the coming weeks”, celebrates João Lemes, export analyst at the company. He predicts an increase in Santa Edwiges’ export earnings of about 20%. The company already exports to countries such as Uruguay, USA, Argentina, Paraguay, Colombia and Congo.
Abicab, the Brazilian Chocolate, Peanut and Candies Manufacturers Association, was originally founded in 1957, and represents the national confectionery industry in public and private spheres in Brazil. The national confectionery industry represents R$ 26,4 billion in retail value and employs more than 42,000 workers.
The Association, which currently represents 93% of the chocolate market, 92% of the candy and confections market and 62% of the peanut market, has aims to develop, protect and promote the confectionery associated industry, stimulating actions to foster internal and external market in these sectors, as well as responsible consumption of products.
The Brasil Sweets and Snacks Project has been developed with the aim of strengthening and promoting the sector, being one of ABICAB’s main activities. Created in partnership with Apex-Brasil in March 1998 with the aim of promoting Brazilian products at the international level, it currently supports 54 companies that export to more than 140 countries.
