Brazilian companies pulled in revenues totaling 152.9 million U.S. dollars from exports to Iraq in 2006, against 49.9 million dollars in 2005, according to the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade on Monday.

President of the Brazil-Iraq Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Jalal Chaya, expected Brazilian exports to Iraq to double in 2007.

He expressed confidence that Brazilian sales to the Middle East could recover to the level prior to the economic embargo imposed by the U.S., when Iraq imported up to 630 million dollars of goods from Brazil.

According to him, at least two committees of Iraqi entrepreneurs are scheduled to visit Brazil this year.

Hospital devices, packaging materials, household appliances and heaters could be placed on the list of exports.

"We are proving that we do not have only sugar and meat, but also other products that can take part in the Iraqi market," said Chaya.

(Published by People's Daily Online, January 30, 2007)