BRAZIL – The 20th edition of Movelsul Brazil, held from 14 to 18 March in Bento Gonçalves attracted 29.011 trade visitors from 48 countries. With this Movelsul reinstates its position as one of the main of furniture and accessories fairs in Latin America.

The presence of foreigners, according to the president of the fair, Henry Tecchio, was the highlight of Movelsul Brazil 2016. “There was great fear that the fair would be seriously affected by the political and economic situation, but I consider that this was a turning point, not only because it was an historical edition, but also for having been successfully carried out during a period of many adversities”, he said.

During the fair was also held the Buyers Project, where 780 negotiation meetings took place among 120 Brazilian companies and 30 guest importers. The Buyer Project is held since 2000 during the fair. This initiative has the support of Apex-Brasil and promotes exports with meetings at the stands of exhibitors, providing them the opportunity to showcase their product line.

Among the new opportunities for the Brazilian furniture industry is Qatar, which increased by 61% its imports of Brazilian furniture in the past year. According to the CEO of Al Jaidah Brothers, Nabil Basma, who participated in the project for the first time, residents of Qatar do not completely trust products manufactured in the Middle East, and European furniture have high prices. “We seek a solution in Brazil for our customers, with the aim of combining quality and a competitive price,” he said.