Posts Tagged ‘Chile’

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Exporting: Mission Possible – Two Companies’ Stories

March 3, 2015

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Laura Ebert is a Trade Specialist at the International Trade Administration.

First Choice Marine Supply CEO Craig Ruda and interpreter Gabriela Schulten meet with potential distributor Maress Supply in Santiago, Chile

First Choice Marine Supply CEO Craig Ruda and interpreter Gabriela Schulten meet with potential distributor Maress Supply in Santiago, Chile

At the end of last year, 14 companies from the Tampa Bay area in Florida traveled to Santiago, Chile on a trade mission. Led by the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation, the companies came armed with market assessments and meeting agendas prepared by the U.S. Commercial Service in Chile. Their mission: to find new export opportunities in Chile.

Joining a trade mission is a great way to learn firsthand about new export markets and meet face-to-face with potential partners and clients. Increasingly, city, state, and regional organizations are teaming up with the U.S. Commercial Service to offer tailored missions for local companies. What is it like to participate in a trade mission? To find out, we recently spoke with two companies that participated in the mission to Chile.

Hydro-Dyne Engineering is a manufacturer of screening and grit removal equipment for water and waste water treatment plants. The company began exporting to help diversify its sales base. Initially, joining the mission was a hard sell to President Jay Conroy. “I was afraid that going down with a government contingency could slow us down and thought we could do it on our own,” said Conroy. “The biggest surprise was how well the mission was organized. Even putting a lot of resources behind it, we wouldn’t have done as good a job on our own.”

Conroy joined the mission with the goal of interviewing and selecting a representative in Chile. For Hydro-Dyne, this kind of long-term commitment is necessary to market its products, provide design and installation support, and build momentum in a market. Conroy was impressed with the quality of the meetings that were scheduled for him. “We went on the mission to find a representative and I am confident we will have one now because of the trip,” Conroy stated. “The icing on the cake was getting to meet with customers who have already asked for proposals on equipment for specific projects.”

His biggest surprise about Chile? How modern it is. “Most water services are privately operated and run like a business looking for a return,” Conroy added.

First Choice Marine Supply designs, manufactures, and distributes solar lighting for the commercial and industrial marine industry, among others. CEO Craig Ruda came across the mission while doing research on expanding to Brazil. He decided to turn his attention to Chile when he learned of the relative ease of doing business there—especially with the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the United States and Chile in place. “Given the FTA, Chile’s growing economy, and their interest in new, energy efficient technologies, it just made sense,” said Ruda.

Ruda went to Chile looking to gather market intelligence and to meet a diverse client base. For him, nothing beats face-to-face interactions for getting an assessment of the true capabilities of a potential agent and for establishing trust with clients. He was impressed by how comfortable Chilean companies were with importing and surprised by the strength of the infrastructure there. Does he consider the mission a success? “Yes, we met all our objectives,” Ruda said enthusiastically.

After all the time and effort put into exploring markets halfway around the world, has exporting been good for business? “Absolutely. Exporting has increased our sales and allowed us to hire,” says Conroy. Hydro-Dyne has doubled its staff over the last two years as exporting has become a larger part of the company’s sales. Exports have driven growth at First Choice Marine as well. “About 50 percent of our market is served through exports. Every one of our people has relationships in other countries on a daily basis,” Ruda added.

If you would like to explore export opportunities for your company and learn more about upcoming trade missions led by the International Trade Administration (ITA), visit our trade mission page. For trade missions to Latin American FTA markets led by ITA and state and local partners, visit our Look South events page.

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Soaring Energy Demand Means Opportunities for U.S. Companies in Latin America

September 24, 2014

Marjorie Baker recently completed a summer internship with the International Trade Administration’s Office of the Western Hemisphere.

Register now for discover: the Americas

Energy consumption in Latin America is expected to more than double between 2010 and 2013.

More Latin Americans than ever are now members of the middle class, and sustained economic growth in the region has led to increased demand for energy.

Energy consumption is projected to more than double in Latin America between 2010 and 2030, and this will transform the continent’s energy sector, creating new opportunities for U.S. companies.

As part of the federal government’s Look South initiative, the International Trade Administration (ITA) has published a series of best prospect sector reports for our 11 Free Trade Agreement partners in Latin America (Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru).

Our on-the-ground experts have identified the following countries as especially attractive for U.S. energy sector exporters:

We are also leading several U.S. companies on a renewable energy trade mission to Peru in November, and we look forward to new opportunities and new business deals as a result of that mission.

The energy sectors of these countries face challenges in terms of generating, distributing, and transmitting power, and that means there are a wide variety of opportunities for U.S. companies.

One way to learn about these opportunities and how to take advantage of them is at the upcoming DISCOVER GLOBAL MARKETS: The Americas forum in Charlotte, N.C., Oct. 29-31.

Register now for discover: the Americas

This forum will be the premier international business conference for U.S. executives to explore new market development strategies in the Americas, featuring:

  • One-on-one appointments with a buying delegation from Mexico;
  • Opportunities to meet with commercial diplomats who work in these markets every day; and
  • A breakout session focusing specifically on energy opportunities across the hemisphere.

We hope to see many U.S. companies taking advantage of the promising opportunities in Latin America!

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Bigger than Meets the Eye: Look South to Chile!

July 29, 2014

Olivia Kantor recently completed an internship in the International Trade Administration’s Office of South America.

A long, narrow country in South America with a relatively small population of 18 million, Chile may not be the first country that comes to mind when considering export markets.

However, Chile’s dynamic economic growth, open markets, and world-class industries make it an attractive option for U.S. companies looking to sell their product abroad.

Chile is the United States’ fourth-largest trading partner in Latin America, and U.S. exports to Chile reached $17.6 billion in 2013. Trade with the country has increased nearly six-fold since the establishment of the U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement.

Several key industries in Chile have produced growing markets for U.S. goods and unique opportunities for business investment:

  • Electrical Power Equipment: Chile has the highest energy costs in South America. Efficient, affordable energy sources are at a premium as the Chilean economy continues to expand. Between 2013 and 2020, growth rates of 6 to 7 percent are projected for electricity consumption in Chile, and an estimated $20 billion of foreign investment and electrical power equipment will be needed to complete a variety of energy generation and transmission projects. Additionally, Chile plans to invest in many forms of renewable energy, making it an ideal market for U.S. manufacturers in that industry.
  • Construction: Driven by energy projects and investment in the Chilean mining industry, construction in Chile has grown at record rates. Construction within the mining industry alone is expected to total $50 billion during the next several years. With little construction equipment produced domestically, Chile relies on high-quality machinery from the United States. That puts U.S. businesses in an ideal position to take advantage of the wave of new construction projects, particularly in infrastructure and housing.
  • Agricultural Machinery and Equipment: Chile’s export-driven agricultural industry is looking to boost productivity and efficiency, providing a unique opportunity to U.S. exporters of specialized and energy efficient agricultural machinery. Continued demand for sophisticated agricultural machinery is expected to grow 7 to 8 percent through 2015. Demand is especially high for harvesting machinery, irrigation infrastructure, and precision agriculture equipment.

Many other Chilean industries also offer significant opportunities for U.S. exporters. You can find a complete list of best prospect sectors for Chile in the Country Commercial Guide.  The US- Chile Free Trade Agreement allows U.S. firms to export with fewer barriers than many other markets. In addition, Chile continues to strengthen its commitment to liberalizing trade as a founding member of both the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Pacific Alliance.

If your company is interested in learning more about doing business in the Chilean market, the Look South initiative offers a number of services to help U.S. businesses capitalize on these exciting opportunities, from business matchmaking to trade counseling.

There are also a number of events for companies eager to start making connections in Chile and beyond.

Contact your nearest Export Assistance Center to learn more about how you can take advantage of opportunities in Chile and 11 U.S. free trade agreement partner countries in Latin America!

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USTR Highlights Trade Opportunities for Small Businesses in Chile and Peru

June 26, 2014
From L to R: Peru’s Ministerial Office Cabinet Advisor Carmen Bedoya Eyzaguirre, Peru’s Vice Minister of SMEs and Industry Sandra Doig Diaz, USTR’s Christina Sevilla, Peru’s Vice-Ministerial Office Advisory Maggy Manrique Petrera, Director of Innovation Alejandro Bernaola Cabrera, and US Embassy in Lima Economic Officer Peter Lee

From L to R: Peru’s Ministerial Office Cabinet Advisor Carmen Bedoya Eyzaguirre, Peru’s Vice Minister of SMEs and Industry Sandra Doig Diaz, USTR’s Christina Sevilla, Peru’s Vice-Ministerial Office Advisory Maggy Manrique Petrera, Director of Innovation Alejandro Bernaola Cabrera, and US Embassy in Lima Economic Officer Peter Lee

This post originally appeared on the blog for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Small Business Christina Sevilla convened Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Working Groups with Chile and Peru to discuss cooperation through the Obama Administration’s Small Business Network of the Americas, which links U.S. Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) with counterpart centers in countries throughout the Hemisphere to expand trade opportunities, share best practices in SME development, and help more small businesses take advantage of U.S. trade agreements. As President Obama has stated, the United States is going to “focus more on small and medium-sized businesses, on women’s businesses, making sure that the benefits of trade don’t just go to the largest companies but also to the smaller entrepreneurs and business people.”

In Santiago, USTR welcomed the decision of the Bachelet Administration to establish 50 SBDCs based on the U.S. model throughout Chile, in order to promote inclusive growth and strengthen our respective countries ties in the SME sector. In June, a delegation from Chile will visit U.S. SBDCs at Howard University in Washington DC, George Mason University in Fairfax, VA and University of Texas at San Antonio, TX. The United States and Chile also discussed ways to promote trade by minority-owned small businesses and will develop an online webinar with the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce through the Administration’s Look South initiative.

In Lima, Sevilla met with Vice Minister of SMEs Sandra Doig Diaz, and congratulated Peru on the recent completion of training in the U.S. SBDC model and the Ministry of Production’s decision to establish pilot SBDCs in Peru in 2015. Peru intends to partner with U.S. SBDCs and their SME clients to expand opportunities under the trade agreement. The US and Peru also discussed efforts to empower women-owned businesses through the public-private partnerships under the Women’s Entrepreneurship in the America’s initiative.

The U.S. also discussed expanded regional opportunities for SMEs with Chile and Peru through the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement that is currently being negotiated.  The United States, Chile and Peru are three of the 12 countries in the TPP.

To learn more about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, please visit http://www.ustr.gov/tpp.

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Be Brief, Be Bright, Be Gone

June 10, 2009

Walter Bastian is Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for the Western Hemisphere, a part of Market Access and Compliance.

From June 1 to June 5, I had the opportunity to lead a group of U.S. business executives on a trade mission to Santiago, Chile and Lima, Peru.  The mission was comprised of executives pursuing business opportunities across a wide range of manufacturing and service sectors.  The results were impressive.

Chile and Peru were selected as target markets for a variety of reasons, including market potential and ease of doing business.  These factors were enhanced by the existence of free trade agreements each has with the United States.  Besides the eventual elimination of all tariffs on U.S. products entering these markets, these agreements establish clear and transparent rules for the conduct of business with U.S. firms.  These agreements have worked.  In the case of Chile, U.S. exports in 2008 were up 49.4 percent over the year before and in Peru, U.S. exports were up 51 percent over the same period.  U.S. exports to Chile are up 345 percent since 2004 when the agreement went into effect.  Last year, Peru was the fastest growing export market in the Western Hemisphere.

Daycare center funded by U.S. companies and United Way Chile.

Daycare center funded by U.S. companies and United Way Chile. (Department of Commerce photo)

The heart of the mission is the business matchmaking service provided by the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service in both countries.  Each company had appointments each day with prescreened local companies.  The mission participants also had the opportunity to meet and talk to members of the U.S. and local business communities at events hosted by the embassies.  The days were full.  Meals became business meetings.  The business days lasted well into the night.

Chris Hood of Coastal International Logistics, LLC, noted that his business philosophy was to “be brief, be bright, be gone.”  He had a contract before leaving the first stop.  He and the other mission members seemed to adhere to the same philosophy and contributed to a highly successful trade mission.

While mission members were busy developing new clients and pursuing commercial opportunities, I met with government officials to pursue issues which would further enhance the competitiveness of U.S. firms in these markets.  I met with customs officials, economy and energy ministers, business groups and NGOs.  I also visited examples of U.S. corporate social responsibility and highlighted the value of partnerships with the U.S. private sector.

The mission was truly representative of a public/private sector partnership.  In the end, the public and private sectors accomplished their mutual objectives of contributing to the economic growth of the United States and creating U.S. jobs through exports.

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