Brasília, August 8, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - From August 12-15, Brasília will host the 6th Sweet Brazil International, considered one of the world's largest trade fairs in the area of candies, confections, chewing gum, and chocolates. In Latin America it is the largest. Buyers and representatives from 20 thousand U.S. retailers are expected, together with importers from Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina.

According to data from the Brazilian Export Promotion Agency (Apex), the chocolate and candy export sector is one of the fastest-growing in Brazil. In the first semester alone, 18.8 million kilos of chocolate were exported - 31% more than in the same period last year.

Brazil currently leads the ranking of the world's sugar producers. The country is also the third largest producer of corn (from which glucose is derived) and the fifth largest producer of cocoa and chocolates, with 327 thousand tons, in which it is surpassed by only the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, and France. (DAS)