<\/p>\n
Enterprise Florida, together with the Florida Chamber of Commerce visited Chile with a group of 16 businessmen from that state. AmCham offered a breakfast with Chilean counterparts, both willing to meet possible partners.\u00a0 David Hart, Executive Vice President of the Florida Chamber of Commerce manages the Chamber\u2019s extensive legislative and political operations and Manny Menc\u00eda, Vice President of International Trade Development at Enterprise Florida, Florida’s official economic development organization explained to AmCham why Florida is an excellent state to do business with and a opening door to the US market.
\nJavier Irarr\u00e1zaval, AmCham\u2019s president stated during the meeting that \u201cthe importance of Florida for us is obvious. We share \u2013more than any other state of the union- a very common culture. The Latin culture, the language, and, just as we share with the rest of the business community of the US, a common business culture.
\nAside from this, Florida has a vigorous business, medical, and academic community that has been the opening doors for many Chileans who have started businesses in the US by first establishing themselves in Florida.\u00a0 That\u2019s the case of many Chilean universities, for example, that have started their internationalization process beginning in Florida.
\nOther facts about our commercial ties with Florida:
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00b7\u00a0Its port and customs district has the biggest commercial traffic with Chile.
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00b7\u00a0The state ranks second among US states in exports to Chile \u2013mainly machinery and manufactures- and is the fifth state in amount of exports coming from Chile, mainly fish and copper, but also wine and blueberries (which have grown enormously in the last few years).
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00b7\u00a0Last year, our bilateral trade reached 2.4 billion dollars (ranking second among US states in bilateral trade with Chile).<\/p>\n
Source: AmCham Chile<\/p>\n
What are the main goals you\u2019re hoping to achieve after your visit?<\/p>\n
Manny Mencia (MM): Chile is a very important partner for Florida. It is one of our top ten business partners, with a highly successful economy and an excellent long term growing potential. Also, it\u2019s a country with which Florida has very strong historical ties.
\nChile is a very good market for Floridas\u2019s products and services. We\u2019re a very strong supplier of technology for Chile, but not only of products of services, also knowledge based services.
\nOn the other hand, Florida offers very big markets for Chilean products.\u00a0 It is the entry point to the USA for a significant portions of Chilean exports, increasingly for Chilean fruits too.
\nThere are natural and practical ties\u00a0 that we feel make Florida an ideal place for Chilean companies that want to enter the US market.<\/p>\n
How has the FTA changed or impacted the bilateral trade between this state and Chile?
\nDavid Hart: Statistics show that the trade increased exponientaly after the FTA came into effect. I think the this FTA is a model. From the Florida Chamber\u2019s perspective it has been so successful, that were equally supportive of other FTA\u2019s in the region based on that model, such as those of\u00a0 Panama and Colombia.<\/p>\n
What are the main advantages of Florida for Chilean companies?
\nMM: Florida has a high comparative advantage with Latin America. With respect of the connectivity, let me point out, that, for example, the port of Miami, handles over 80% of all air cargo between this continent and the US; in the telecommunications area, South Florida is the end point of most of the fiber optic cables that come from Latin America to the US. With respect to the international finance facilities, Miami is the second largest banking center, after New York. But most important of all, Florida offers soft infrastructure that include thousands of service providers or traders, that speak the language, know the Latin culture and know how to do business with Latin America.
\nOn the other hand, we can help the Chilean companies because we also know the us market or the distribution channels. The\u00a0 USA is, by far, the largest importer of products worldwide. Still, it is a very difficult market to penetrate for medium to small companies, it\u2019s a complex market, a segmented market with many different distribution channels that most Latin American countries don\u2019t know\u00a0 well.<\/p>\n
Any special market you think Chile should pay attention to?
\nThere\u2019s a tremendous opportunity to use Florida as a gateway for a variety of products that Chile does well. For example technology products, with special applications for the Latin or Hispanic population in universities. Just have in mind that the Hispanic population is the fastest growing in the country. technology.
\nFlorida has more purchasing power than any Latin American country, with the exception of Brazil and maybe Mexico, and\u00a0 there are\u00a0 hundreds of companies that specialize in commercializing, placing and distributing\u00a0 Latin American products.<\/p>\n
How can you help Chileans invest in Florida?
\nDH: At the Florida Chamber we host a big annual summit in Orlando called the Future of Florida Summit. It\u2019s a great opportunity for Chilean CEO\u2019s to meet their counterparts and the representatives of the business community of Florida.
\nMM: Enterprise Florida offers free assistance in many fields. We help Florida\u2019s companies export and help companies establish in the state. We can also help companies entering the US market meet the right partners, provide information and help them select the best geographical community for their company and business .<\/p>\n
DH:\u00a0 I had the opportunity to be with Governor Scott last week and informed him of this visit. He pointed out that Chile had one of the best business community climate in all the hemisphere. \u201cYou\u2019re going to love it\u201d, he said.\u00a0 Governor Scott comes from the private sector, so he has the knowledge and the experience.
\nMM: The Chilean\u00a0 miracle is well noun\u00a0 in Florida. The business leadership of the state\u00a0 is impressed with what Chile has been able to achieve. There\u2019s is great admiration for Chile\u00b4s leadership. Chile is the country that everybody in the hemisphere could learn from . I think Latin America we be much more successful if they would do it, as you say, \u201ca la chilena\u201d.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\nEnterprise Florida, together with the Florida Chamber of Commerce visited Chile with a group of 16 businessmen from that state. AmCham offered a breakfast with Chilean counterparts, both willing to meet possible partners.\u00a0 David Hart, Executive Vice President of the Florida Chamber of Commerce manages the Chamber\u2019s extensive legislative and political operations and Manny Menc\u00eda, Vice President of International Trade Development at Enterprise Florida, Florida’s official economic development organization explained to AmCham why Florida is an excellent state to do business with and a opening door to the US market.
\nJavier Irarr\u00e1zaval, AmCham\u2019s president stated during the meeting that \u201cthe importance of Florida for us is obvious. We share \u2013more than any other state of the union- a very common culture. The Latin culture, the language, and, just as we share with the rest of the business community of the US, a common business culture.
\nAside from this, Florida has a vigorous business, medical, and academic community that has been the opening doors for many Chileans who have started businesses in the US by first establishing themselves in Florida.\u00a0 That\u2019s the case of many Chilean universities, for example, that have started their internationalization process beginning in Florida.
\nOther facts about our commercial ties with Florida:
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00b7\u00a0Its port and customs district has the biggest commercial traffic with Chile.
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00b7\u00a0The state ranks second among US states in exports to Chile \u2013mainly machinery and manufactures- and is the fifth state in amount of exports coming from Chile, mainly fish and copper, but also wine and blueberries (which have grown enormously in the last few years).
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00b7\u00a0Last year, our bilateral trade reached 2.4 billion dollars (ranking second among US states in bilateral trade with Chile).<\/p>\n
Source: AmCham Chile<\/p>\n
What are the main goals you\u2019re hoping to achieve after your visit?<\/p>\n
Manny Mencia (MM): Chile is a very important partner for Florida. It is one of our top ten business partners, with a highly successful economy and an excellent long term growing potential. Also, it\u2019s a country with which Florida has very strong historical ties.
\nChile is a very good market for Floridas\u2019s products and services. We\u2019re a very strong supplier of technology for Chile, but not only of products of services, also knowledge based services.
\nOn the other hand, Florida offers very big markets for Chilean products.\u00a0 It is the entry point to the USA for a significant portions of Chilean exports, increasingly for Chilean fruits too.
\nThere are natural and practical ties\u00a0 that we feel make Florida an ideal place for Chilean companies that want to enter the US market.<\/p>\n
How has the FTA changed or impacted the bilateral trade between this state and Chile?
\nDavid Hart: Statistics show that the trade increased exponientaly after the FTA came into effect. I think the this FTA is a model. From the Florida Chamber\u2019s perspective it has been so successful, that were equally supportive of other FTA\u2019s in the region based on that model, such as those of\u00a0 Panama and Colombia.<\/p>\n
What are the main advantages of Florida for Chilean companies?
\nMM: Florida has a high comparative advantage with Latin America. With respect of the connectivity, let me point out, that, for example, the port of Miami, handles over 80% of all air cargo between this continent and the US; in the telecommunications area, South Florida is the end point of most of the fiber optic cables that come from Latin America to the US. With respect to the international finance facilities, Miami is the second largest banking center, after New York. But most important of all, Florida offers soft infrastructure that include thousands of service providers or traders, that speak the language, know the Latin culture and know how to do business with Latin America.
\nOn the other hand, we can help the Chilean companies because we also know the us market or the distribution channels. The\u00a0 USA is, by far, the largest importer of products worldwide. Still, it is a very difficult market to penetrate for medium to small companies, it\u2019s a complex market, a segmented market with many different distribution channels that most Latin American countries don\u2019t know\u00a0 well.<\/p>\n
Any special market you think Chile should pay attention to?
\nThere\u2019s a tremendous opportunity to use Florida as a gateway for a variety of products that Chile does well. For example technology products, with special applications for the Latin or Hispanic population in universities. Just have in mind that the Hispanic population is the fastest growing in the country. technology.
\nFlorida has more purchasing power than any Latin American country, with the exception of Brazil and maybe Mexico, and\u00a0 there are\u00a0 hundreds of companies that specialize in commercializing, placing and distributing\u00a0 Latin American products.<\/p>\n
How can you help Chileans invest in Florida?
\nDH: At the Florida Chamber we host a big annual summit in Orlando called the Future of Florida Summit. It\u2019s a great opportunity for Chilean CEO\u2019s to meet their counterparts and the representatives of the business community of Florida.
\nMM: Enterprise Florida offers free assistance in many fields. We help Florida\u2019s companies export and help companies establish in the state. We can also help companies entering the US market meet the right partners, provide information and help them select the best geographical community for their company and business .<\/p>\n
DH:\u00a0 I had the opportunity to be with Governor Scott last week and informed him of this visit. He pointed out that Chile had one of the best business community climate in all the hemisphere. \u201cYou\u2019re going to love it\u201d, he said.\u00a0 Governor Scott comes from the private sector, so he has the knowledge and the experience.
\nMM: The Chilean\u00a0 miracle is well noun\u00a0 in Florida. The business leadership of the state\u00a0 is impressed with what Chile has been able to achieve. There\u2019s is great admiration for Chile\u00b4s leadership. Chile is the country that everybody in the hemisphere could learn from . I think Latin America we be much more successful if they would do it, as you say, \u201ca la chilena\u201d.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Enterprise Florida, together with the Florida Chamber of Commerce visited Chile with a group of 16 businessmen from that state.
Enterprise Florida, together with the Florida Chamber of Commerce visited Chile with a group of 16 businessmen from that state.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","news_tax":[],"user_type":[],"class_list":["post-8211","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n