Organised by UK Trade & Investment as part of its ongoing programme of market visits, the trip enabled a delegation to visit the South American country to meet potential clients and business partners.
Jeff Sanders, one of UK Trade & Investment's International Trade Advisers, who led the market visit, said:
"Brazil is the UK's most important trading partner in Latin America, with UK exports of goods and services valued at around £1.2 billion a year.
"We had a nine-strong delegation of companies who took part in the visit taking in Rio and Sao Paolo, which boasts a population of more than 20 million people and an economy that is bigger than the whole of Argentina.
"Prior to the visit, we organised a briefing session, which included a video conference with our commercial staff in Brazil that proved very useful for companies wishing to maximise the benefits of the trip.
"We were also delighted to be able to work with the BBC's Working Lunch programme and take part in filming during the visit and the feedback we've received from companies has been very positive, with more than half reporting that they expect to secure new orders within the next year."
Among those who took part in the visit was Alan Clarke, International Sales Manager for Mechetronics, in Bishop Auckland, which specialises in the manufacture of solenoids and other electro-mechanical components.
Alan said: "The visit went very well from our point of view. I went there to take a look at the market and make some new contacts. We gained several sales leads - one very significant, though there will be a long gestation period.
"I was very impressed with the professionalism of the consulate staff in Sao Paulo, particularly Erkia Azevedo, who prepared our OMIS report and organised all sorts of things for me during the trip, including transportation and translation.
"I was also impressed with Jeff Sanders and the support he offered the group during the trip.
"And I really appreciated that although the group was diverse, many people were very sociable and it was a very nice experience having other people around - normally I'd do this sort of thing alone and it made a big difference having people around to share the experience and socialise with on a free evening."
Firms taking part in market visits benefit from UK Trade & Investment support before, during and after the visit and may receive a financial contribution towards their costs.
Exporters can also benefit from a range of other services offered by UK Trade & Investment, such as the Overseas Market Introduction Service (OMIS). OMIS is a flexible service that can be tailored to offer a range of support including market research, arranging appointments with business contacts and guiding companies through requirements such as technical standards, labelling and packaging regulations. Prices range from £500 to £2,000 including VAT, depending on the level of service required.
This year's market visit programme includes:
- China, May 26 - June 5. The visit will take in Beijing, Zhengzhou and Wuhan.
- Canada, September (dates to be confirmed). The visit will coincide with the World Wind Energy Exhibition and Conference in Toronto.
- Russia, October 19-24. Moscow, with an option to visit St Petersburg.
- France, October 19 - 22. The visit to Paris will coincide with the SIAL food and drink show. There is an option to combine this with a visit to Lyon (below).
- France, October 22-24. The visit to Lyon will coincide with the 2nd Europe Innova conference featuring the Axelera chemicals cluster. There is an option to combine this with a visit to Paris (above).
- China and Taiwan, November 2 - 12. The visit will take in Chengdu and Changsha, with an optional extension to Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- Australia, November 7 - 13. The visit will take in a high-tech industry park in Melbourne.
- India, February/March 2009 (dates to be confirmed). The visit will take in Mumbai and Delhi and will include an optional extension to the ICT sector in Bangalore.
North East companies interested in taking part in UK Trade & Investment's 2008-09 market visits programme or who would like to find out more about the range of support services available should contact the North East International Trade Hotline on 0845 05 05 054 or e-mail enquiries@ukti.rito.co.uk.
