MOSCOW, August 21 (RIA Novosti) - Brazil is hoping its trade turnover with Russia will grow on the back of Russia’s recently introduced import restrictions on agricultural goods from Europe, but the volume of trade depends on entrepreneurs, Brazilian Ambassador to Russia Antonio Guerreiro said during a press conference in Moscow.
“The potential of bilateral trade is very high, given the potential of our countries’ economies,” Guerreiro said. “The fact that our entrepreneurs know each other very well will only boost imports’ increase. They can find an empty market niche on their own.”
Guerreiro also defused allegations that the Brazilian government was pressed by the European Union not to fill the niches emerging after the European goods were banned.
“Nobody from the EU came up with such requests. The Brazilian government has never meddled into the affairs of the entrepreneurs,” Guerreiro said.
In 2009-2013, trade turnover between Russia and Brazil grew by 32 percent and reached $5.65 billion. Meat and meat products, at 59.3 percent, accounted for more than half of Brazil’s exports to Russia. Sugar accounted for 20 percent, tobacco – 5.5 percent and coffee – 2 percent.
