April 12 - Everybody, it seems, wants a piece of the Brazilian economic pie, and some who already have a small slice want a bit more, writes HLPFI's correspondent from the Intermodal South America event, Robert Ward.

With that objective in mind the Port of Barcelona held a press conference last night at the Intermodal South America conference and trade show in Sao Paulo, and announced a new Trade Mission to Brazil, to take part in Sao Paulo from November 5 to 7.

Manuel J. Golan, of the Port of Barcelona, said that Brazil was the third most important customer for cargoes from the Spanish port, behind only China and Turkey (the target for PoB's 2011 Trade Mission).

He told the gathered press: "Every year we arrange a trade mission together with various port based companies and import/export companies who use our port, more than 50 in total, and this year we have chosen Brazil.

"The last trade mission we had to Brazil was back in 2005 but things are, as you know, very different for Spain right now, with the economic crisis."

This will probably mean that Spain will be exporting more goods to Brazil, rather than importing from the South American country and the strong Real and weaker Euro will give impetus to that trend.

Golan added that PoB was developing "very close links" with the Brazilian ports of Santos, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande and Vitoria.

And the PoB executive added: "For us it is very important for the Port of Barcelona to start up a trade mission every year and we have done so since 1998.

"This Intermodal South America is the biggest in the Americas for maritime logistics activities and is very important for us to increase our participation in Brazil via this trade mission."

Th trade mission will be held at the Renaissance Sao Paulo Hotel, on Alameda Santos starting on the afternoon of November 5.

www.portdebarcelona.es

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