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The Pacific Alliance' s first Business Matchmaking Forum, in its efforts to promote inter-regional commerce and the possibility of establishing productive chains to reach other markets, finished with early figures of USD 90.8 million in possible deals and 3,800 business meetings.
The meeting, held in Cali, Colombia on June 19 and 20, also produced closed deals of USD 3.8 million between 700 buyers and exporters from the trading bloc' s four countries: Chile, Peru, Colombia and Mexico.
Over all, the sector with the best outlook was food products (53%), followed by manufacturing (25%), apparel (13.8%) and services (7.1%).
Per country, Chile reported the highest export forecast with 31%. Colombia came in second (26%), Peru (22%) and Mexico (21%).
Chile' s primary opportunities were in food products (USD 18.8 million), Colombia' s in manufacturing (USD 8.6 million) and agribusiness (USD 7.5 million), Peru' s in the agribusiness sector (USD 12.4 million) and Mexico' s manufacturing (USD 8.1 million).
In total 374 exporting companies attended, represented by 467 entrepreneurs from the four countries: 137 from Colombia, 96 from Chile, 80 from Mexico and 61 from Peru. There were 215 purchasing companies, Colombia had the largest delegation with 77, followed by Mexico with 54, Chile with 44 and Peru with 40. A total of 273 entrepreneurs visited Cali.
" This is the first commercial activity held after the signing of the Integration Agreement in May of last year. The warm welcome and participation showed entrepreneur interest in the Alliance, especially small and medium exporting enterprises that made up 90% of the group. It was also proof that the joint work between the four countries is providing significant results, which contribute to a more solid bloc," said Maria Claudia Lacouture, PROCOLOMBIA president.
" The benefits from this first Matchmaking Forum come from the awareness of the strength of the exports of each of the Alliance countries' entrepreneurs, the energizing and consolidation of commerce and investment flows, and potential strategic alliances. These alliances spring from complementary lines of business and their goal is to position and develop us in the most important Asian markets, in the medium-term," advised Mario Ocharan, Assistant Director of Exports at PromPeru.
" The scheduled meetings were outdone by the entrepreneurs' drive for opportunities. These business people recommended each other, even though they were competitors, and this created more and betteropportunities than those planned. The Pacific Alliance explained that teamwork and collaboration is the only way for people with the same objective living in neighboring countries to advance as a community. Participants' burning question was where the next Matchmaking Forum would be held, and the expected answer is Mexico," said Elena Achar Samra, head of Export Promotion at ProMexico.
Mr. Alejandro Palacios, National Assistant Director of ProChile, stated that, " Our delegation of 96 companies judged the quality and variety of the meetings held positively. They also approved of the organization of this historic meeting. A scant year after its creation, the Pacific Alliance has already become a platform of real opportunities that has allowed its member countries to forge new links and relationships between its companies."
