London (England), May 6, 2004 (Agência Brasil) - Brazil's cosmetics sector, which is growing around 5% annually, should gain a bigger share of the European market. This is the assessment made by the president of the Brazilian Cosmetics Industry Association (Abihpec), João Carlos Basílio, who informed that the sector currently sells to over 110 countries. Sales are no longer concentrated in South America. The international market for personal hygiene and beauty products does US$ 230 billion worth of business annually. Brazil's share amounts to 4%.

According to Basílio, events such as the promotion of Brazilian products this month at Selfridges, one of England's largest department store chains, should expand sales even more.

"The Arabs are fascinated by our products. We want the same thing to happen here in Europe," he said.

The cosmetics industry is one of the world's fastest-growing industrial sectors, and Brazilian products are among the most competitive. In European countries a product can cost five times as much as a similar one sold in Brazil.

"Since per capita income is higher in Europe, the tendency is for cosmetics sales to be greater as well," he informed.

The marketing of Brazilian products at Selfridges has already garnered over US$ 4 million. According to the president of the Brazilian Export Promotion Agency (Apex), Juan Manuel Quirós, the great majority of products sold - over 80% - comes from micro and small firms in Brazil.

"We are demonstrating here how small firms are capable of making quality items," he said. Around 8.5 thousand products under approximately 50 different brands are being sold at the English chain's four stores.

Translator: David Silberstein