Andean Business Meeting opens today with 6,500 scheduled business sessions

Guayaquil, Mar. 28, 2012.- With 6,500 sessions scheduled between Bolivian, Colombian, Ecuadorean and Peruvian buyers and exporters,  the Andean Business Meeting opened today.  Over 700 business leaders gathered in the Ecuadorean city of Guayaquil to reinforce Andean trade, make arrangements for possible business transactions and establish strategic alliances.   

The Meeting, which was held at the Guayaquil Convention Center, was opened by Ministers Sergio Díaz-Granados of Colombia, who chairs the CAN Commission; Santiago León of Ecuador and José Luis Silva of Peru, together with Ecuador’s Vice-Minister of Foreign Trade, Francisco Rivadeneira, and the Commercial Attaché of the Bolivian Embassy in Ecuador, Eduardo Ibarnegaray.

Sergio Díaz-Granados, Colombia’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism, declared that “the trade integration of the Andean Community Member Countries is an accomplished fact.”  He explained that this Business Meeting is the first of a series of activities that will be carried out in the future to consolidate intra-Community trade and to reach third countries as a bloc.   The Minister went on to add that the CAN Member Countries have decided to make the Andean Community much more vigorous and strong and for that reason had reactivated the Andean Committee of Export Promotion Authorities and organized this Meeting. 

The Peruvian Minister of Trade and Tourism, José Luis Silva, stated that relations among the Andean Community countries are being progressively strengthened.  He pointed out that Peru is not concerned over its balance of trade deficit with the CAN, because more than 80% of its exports to the Andean market have an added value, are labor intensive and show signs of growing.  The Minister added that measures are being taken to strengthen regional trade, so that the southern hemisphere countries will be better prepared to face a possible crisis in the northern hemisphere. 

Ecuador’s Production Minister, Santiago León, declared that this business meeting is of key importance for strengthening Andean trade.  “What better than to consume products coming from sister countries like Bolivia, Colombia and Peru?  Here, we have major opportunities for not only trade, but also to establish strategic alliances and joint investments and be able to sell jointly in third country markets.  As the Andean Community, we have a great deal to offer,” he stated emphatically.  

The Vice-Minister of Foreign Trade of Ecuador, Francisco Rivadeneira, for his part, underscored that this is the start of a new stage in export promotion and in the reinforcement of intra-Community trade.   “The trade between our countries is in value-added products.  There are regional linkages that enable our economies to complement each other.  Many examples can be found, such as those in the area of footwear and garments.”  He underscored the importance of not only working to build up trade, but also of starting to envisage working together as a bloc to enter other markets.