Orchestra Brasil, a project that encourages exports organized by the Furniture Industry Association of Bento Gonçalves (Sindmóveis) and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) is sending two prospection and Competitive Intelligence missions to Mexico City and High Point, US in October. These initiatives will have the participation of suppliers to the furniture industry, including manufacturers of paint, accessories, technologies, machinery for the woodworking industry and design studios that take part in the Raiz Project, which aims to foster the internationalization of their service. 

Held from October 15 - 18, the program begins with a prospective, commercial and competitive intelligence mission featuring business meetings in High Point, US, which is home to one of the main furniture centers in the United States and one of the most important furniture fairs in the world. The program also includes manufacturers of the local furniture industry, importers, as well as distribution channels for inputs, components and raw materials used by the woodworking industry.

Member companies of the Orchestra Brasil Project and design studios of the Raiz Project participating in this initiative include Brasmacol, Crippa Máquinas, Lavrama, Promob Softwares, Torcetex and design studions estudiobola, Fahrer Design, NDT Design and Paulo Alves.

The major consumer and the major importer of furniture in the world, the United States is expected to have an average annual growth of 2.2% in furniture consumption by 2020, according to Euromonitor forecast. In 2015, consumer spending on furniture exceeded $ 162.9 billion. While the GDP is expected to increase by 2.3% in 2017 and 2.5% in 2018. In addition, the United States has the greatest relevance for the Orchestra Brasil Project, as it is the main importer of the inputs sold by the project member companies and the largest worldwide market of the entire supply industry of inputs to the woodworking industry.

The program continues from October 19 - 21 with the prospecting process of commercial opportunities in the furniture industry of Mexico City, including business visits and meetings with the local furniture manufacturers, distributors and retailers. Akeo, Crippa Máquinas and Pincéis Atlas are taking part in this initiative.

With the second largest economy and population in Latin America, Mexico is a priority market for the Orchestra Brasil Project, where it has been operating for more than eight years. A consultant of the Orchestra Brasil Project, Ana Cristina Schneider, explains that the Brazilian trade policy has moved closer to Mexico and possible restrictions from the United States may represent opportunities for Brazilian companies. "Mexico is one of the top ten importers in the world of products exported by the companies of the Orchestra Brazil Project. As for the companies supported by the project, exports in dollars to this market grew by 8.7% in 2015 and 21.1% in 2014,”she points out.

Orchestra Brazil is a sector-based project that promotes the internationalization of the suppliers to the woodworking industry. The plan for the 2017/2018 period is to expand the missions associated with trade fairs and investments in commercial intelligence at the service of the participating companies. The positioning of the project focuses, above all, on increasing the competitiveness of manufacturing companies participating in the global market, the sustainability issues and increasing the perception of Brazil’s image as a supplier of inputs and technologies to the furniture industry.