Image
Flexible packages, labels, bags, lids, preforms and disposables were among the most requested products during the business round organized by PROCOLOMBIA within Colombiaplast, which resulted in an expectation of around USD$6.7 million.
The business deals that were closed during the round came up to a total of USD$40.000. In this encounter, developed during the international fair of the plastic industry in Corferias, 29 Colombian exporters and 15 international buyers summoned by PROCOLOMBIA participated, including buyers from Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Panama.
These countries are the targets that PROCOLOMBIA has identified with the largest opportunities for Colombian plastic product exporters.
PanamanianRafael Madriz, for example, was one of the people who highlighted the quality of the Colombian offering. "I found what I needed, including coffee packages, labels and pet food supplies. They were of excellent quality, in fact we have already begun our volume and testing stage", he stated.
According toLucy Gutiérrez, from Costa Rica, "Colombia is now a very appealing country form y country. I found a very good offering of labels and lids and we have begun the process of quoting for some companies".
She added that the "round seemed excellent not only for the products I was seeking but also for finding possible representations and trading, the quality we found is excellent".
Exporters also saw a positive balance. Aurelio Rosado, from company AR Tecnoplásticos, mentioned that he found clients in Ecuador, Honduras and Costa Rica. "There was even a buyer that was surprised, since he imports special lids for liquor from England and realized now that I can also supply them".
He also mentioned that the round was above his expectations. "All buyers were very good, specially the clients from Ecuador, Honduras and Costa Rica".
On the other hand, Sandra Sarmiento, from Iberplast, said, "even though it was my first time in the round, I was pleasantly surprised by the business possibilities abroad. I had meetings with companies I never thought I would have a chance to I could meet, but I realized I could".
PROCOLOMBIA identified opportunities in markets such as Panama, where there is a demand form plastic utensils for hotel amenities, and Mexico requires products of this sort for kitchen use, Peru needs containers and packages, and the USA demands packaging and polyethylene film, cups and plastic containers for the food industry.
The plastics sector has grown during the past few years, According to information from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism, and information from Dane Colombia exported USD$958.1 million in 2011, which represented a growth of 23.5% with respect to 2010.
During the first six months of 2012, they also grew 11.4%, in comparison to the same period in 2011, for a total of USD$420.3 million.
