A partnership between Apex-Brasil and Sindmóveis boosts exports of the furniture industry suppliers
 

In the coming weeks the renewal of the agreement for technical and financial cooperation will be signed by the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) and the Furniture Industry Association of Bento Gonçalves (Sindmóveis) to continue the Orchestra Brasil project in 2014/2015. The initiative was established in 2003 to promote the competitive inclusion of manufacturers of inputs, components, technologies, finishes, chemicals and design services for the furniture industry in the international market. A total of 123 companies and design studios take part in the project. .

The strategy for the next two years is aimed at gaining competitiveness for the Brazilian industry and it will focus on investments to add value to national products through design, continuous innovation and sustainability. The project plan includes the participation in both major world fairs of suppliers for the furniture industry and in relationship actions, in addition to the search for new markets and the organization of buyer’s and seller’s projects. The goal is to keep pace with the growth in export value by the member companies as well as the presence of these companies in the markets they have entered. Furthermore, the project intends to reach new potential markets and   promote the first export by those companies that only sell in the domestic market.

For the Project Manager of Apex-Brasil, Emanuel Figueira, the results achieved by the sector in the last two years justify the continued support of the agency: "we had a considerable gain in the value of exports by the member companies of the  Orchestra Brasil Project in 2012/2013, which proved even more satisfying when analyzing the increase in the added value and the historical continuity of the export effort by these companies. The project now aims to take a new step, with a strategy that allows a unique positioning of the Brazilian offers in foreign markets while it efficiently encourages the internationalization movement of the industry. The point is, therefore, to develop those attributes that become competitive advantages in the world: the creativity of our designers, innovation in processes/products, the diversity of materials available and sustainability."

In fact, 2013 saw good results for the companies that participate in the Orchestra Brasil Project. Compared to 2012, exports increased by 11.2%, representing  four consecutive years of growth. Priority markets were essential to this performance. The growth in these countries totaled 16.8% in 2013, higher than the average, just like in previous years. The main performances were seen in Chile (81.7%), Ecuador (48.1%), Colombia (35.9%), United States (25.3%), Peru (28.3%), Paraguay (12.1%) and Guatemala (25%).

The President of Sindmóveis, Henrique Tecchio, points out that the target markets for the Orchestra Brasil Project in the next two years include countries with good prospects for growth and consumption. "We have favorable exchange rate, which stimulates Brazilian exports. Brazil accounts for only 1% of the world exports, which means that there is ample room for growth in all sectors, including furniture and supplies for the furniture industry," he says. 

The target markets for the industry over the next two years are South Africa, Argentina, Colombia, United States, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru and Turkey. The design center will focus on the United States.