40 EXPORTAÇÕES | EXPORTS | EXPORTACIONES Everyone knows that in economies that suffer regular upheaval – typical of countries known as emerging markets – putting all your eggs in one basket is a risk. This strategy needs to be reviewed and there are many markets and clients that must redouble their efforts. Diversification is imperative, even though there is a recurrent and natural temptation to focus efforts on those markets that momentarily improve. Brazil’s highway implement industry knows what this means .The experience of the last three years in the domestic market, with a 65% collapse in sales, has highlighted the need to keep its doors open to clients from other countries, despite the intrinsic difficulties for such a specific product segment and frequent exchange rate fluctuations. They may offer hope after the last three years .The effort to win over customers is no doubt always much greater and costlier than maintaining them, even in less favorable periods. This is why ANFIR entered into an agreement with the Brazilian Export Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) and the first results were seen in 2016, the first year of the agreement. The idea of the partnership, of course, is to boost exports by Brazilian manufacturers of implements. In 2015 the industry exported 3,436 trailers and semi-trailers, while in 2016, with a more favorable exchange rate, it exported 4,086 implements, a 19% increase year on year. Through the work done in the partnership between ANFIR and Apex-Brasil, especially in the second half of last year, it is expected that 2017 could be even better. Positive balance No less than 24 ANFIR member companies participated in negotiating rounds in Colombia in June, in Chile in October, and in Sao Paulo, in November. Seven of them were at Expomina, in Peru, in September. Eleven potential buyers from Chile, Colombia, Honduras and Peru attend the trade show in the city of São Paulo. The Colombian and Chilean rounds attracted another 36 importers. The results, say leaders, have been good. ANFIR estimates business generated by the negotiations that began at these meetings is worth $ 32.6 million. The openness to Brazilian products in the countries visited came as a surprise to Alcides Braga, president of ANFIR. “Several businesspeople in the logistics sector have realized that we offer quality, competitive prices and proximity to the markets,” says the executive, who expects to see growth in exports going forward. Mario Rinaldi, executive director of ANFIR, believes that this process is a virtuous circle that is only just beginning. Brazilian companies must set up after sales structures in their export markets and offer better services, which create loyalty and, of course, more sales. “Without an efficient parts and service network, it’s almost impossible to have a sustainable export business,” says Rinaldi. Igor Brandão, project coordinator in the sector at Apex-Brasil, has the same view, that the work is only just beginning. The first year of the partnership agreement with ANFIR, he says, was a learning period. “We learned a little more about the sector, its exposure to foreign trade, ways to promote itself in international markets, segments and the applications of products. We saw how dedicated ANFIR and the people responsible are, involving companies in events. We believe the sector has assimilated the spirit of an industry project.” Brandão says that the most tangible result has been interest and take up by companies in the project. The agreement was signed in January 2016 and at the end of the first month eighteen companies had signed up to the program - instead of the 15 targeted. “So, we agreed to increase the target to forty companies and we achieved 45 in November,” says the executive. More partners The last effort in the partnership was a prospecting mission to Panama to evaluate the feasibility of a round of negotiations with local importers later in the program. Brandão, however, believes the sector still faces great challenges in exports. There are still a lot of non-exporting companies. Of the 45 enrolled in the project, twelve have yet to export. “It would be very good to see them start exporting and establish themselves, regardless of the ups and downs on the domestic market.” In order to assist in this process, Apex-Brasil used its Export Qualification Program (PEIEX), in partnership with universities, technological centers and industry federations in the various states, which has been signed up to by several companies in the sector. Brandão says the partnership has also developed strategic planning for international expansion of the sector, with objectives for the next five years. “ A good challenge for the future is that highway implement companies, in general, take a liking to exports and maintain a solid and sustainable position in export markets.” An agreement between ANFIR and Apex-Brasil has established the bases for the expansion of the implements business through exports, which grew by 19% in 2016 The wheel turns
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