CCBC returns to Exposibram

The return of the fair to the face-to-face model gives continuity to the Chamber’s role in bringing Brazilian and Canadian companies closer together


By Sérgio Siscaro

Considered one of the largest mining exhibitions in Latin America, the Brazilian Mining Expo & Congress (Exposibram), which took place between September 12 and 15 in Belo Horizonte (MG), brought the return to the face-to-face format after three years. It also marked the beginning of the activities of the regional office of the Chamber of Commerce Brazil-Canada (CCBC) in the capital city of Minas Gerais.

Exposibram is organized by the Brazilian Mining Institute (Ibram), and brings together players in the mining production chain – mining companies, manufacturers, suppliers of machinery, equipment and services, and research institutions and universities, in addition to business and government delegations from various countries. In CCBC’s view, this is a unique opportunity to bring Brazilian and Canadian companies together to exchange experiences, make commercial contacts and eventually enter into business partnerships.

Meetings and visits

According to CCBC’s Business Development coordinator, Elisa Nolli, the Chamber’s participation in the event took two forms: a partnership with the federal government of Canada, through the consulate, for the organization of joint events; and the provision of a matchmaking promotion service between Brazilian and Canadian companies for the Quebec Office in São Paulo. Thirteen Brazilian companies and six from Quebec participated in these meetings – which totaled 20 meetings throughout the period of the fair.

According to the economic affairs advisor of the Québec Office in São Paulo, João Collet, the participation in Exposibram was very positive. “The Québec Office in São Paulo is proud to have supported the participation of seven Québec companies for the event. They were companies from different subsectors of mining, of different sizes and different stages of presence in Brazil. But all of them were extremely interested in doing business in the Brazilian mining market, which is full of challenges and opportunities”, he says.

He highlighted the fact that Quebec had the largest number of companies in the Canadian delegation. “It was very good to note that Brazilian players were also interested in meeting with Quebec companies. It was excellent to be able to count on the work of CCBC to facilitate the organization of these business meetings”, he concluded.

From the institutional point of view, CCBC participated in events jointly with the Canadian Consulate, organized with the Canadian federal government. This partnership enabled visits to the offices of mining company Vale in Belo Horizonte, as well as a Jaguar Mining mine.

Positive Perception

One of the companies that participated in the round of meetings held by the Quebec Office in São Paulo was the Canadian Optel, which sought greater exposure to the mining sector in Brazil at Exposibram. “A few years ago we started to enter this segment in Canada, and now we are starting to enter the Brazilian market, where we are still unknown. For this reason, the initiative of CCBC, the Quebec Office in São Paulo, and the Canadian federal government was essential for us to make contacts,” evaluates the company’s sales director for Latin America, Giancarlo Fusaro. “The B2B meetings were quite fruitful, and we are following up on a series of leads we created at the fair.”

Among the technologies developed by the company for the mining sector are those focused on the traceability of any items, such as inputs and assets. According to Fusaro, Optel’s solution that allows the monitoring of CO2 emissions aroused a lot of interest at Exposibram – something quite strategic at this time when the Brazilian mining sector is being led by the market to adopt environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria.