S.E. BUSINESSMEN SEE COLOMBIA IN A NEW LIGHT

A SEVEN-DAY TRADE MISSION TO COLOMBIA ORGANIZED BY THE MIAMI-BASED COUNCIL OF INTERAMERICAN TRADE & COMMERCE FOCUSED THE ATTENTION OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ATLANTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE COBB CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ON OPPORTUNITIES FOR BUSINESS TIES BETWEEN THEIR MEMBERS AND SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRIES.

WE HAVE SENT DELEGATIONS TO MEXICO, BUT NOWHERE ELSE IN LATIN AMERICA, AND THIS TRIP IMPRESSED US WITH THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT EXIST THERE, SAID ROY COOPER, VICE PRESIDENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITH THE ATLANTA CHAMBER.  ROGER SUND, AN EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT WITH THE COBB CHAMBER, SAID THAT HIS CHAMBER ALSO WOULD DEVOTE MORE ATTENTION TO DEVELOPING TIES WITH SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRIES.

TWENTY TWO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TRADE ASSOCIATION AND BUSINESS EXECUTIVES FROM SEVEN SOUTHEASTERN STATES AND ELEVEN CITIES, INCLUDING JACKSONVILLE AND CHARLOTTE, PARTICIPATED IN THE MISSION IN LATE AUGUST.  THE GROUP VISITED WITH INDUSTRY, GOVERNMENT AND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE EXECUTIVES IN COLOMBIA’S FOUR MAJOR ECONOMIC REGIONS OF BOGOTA, CALI, MEDELLIN AND CARTAGENA.

ACCORDING TO THE PARTICIPANTS, THE COMPETITIVE INTERESTS OF THE DIFFERENT MEMBERS ON THE TRIP DID NOT PRESENT A PROBLEM. WE ARE VERY USED TO COOPERATING AND COORDINATING OUR EFFORTS WHEN WE HAVE A COMMON OBJECTIVE AS A REGION, SAID MR. SUND.   AND WE ALSO KNOW HOW TO COMPETE FOR PROJECTS THAT WOULD BENEFIT OUR LOCAL AREAS.

THE ATLANTA REPRESENTATIVES SAID THAT THEIR CHAMBERS HAD STAYED AWAY FROM COLOMBIA AND OTHER LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES BECAUSE OF THE MEDIA FOCUS ON DRUG TRAFFICKING, BUT THAT ONCE IN COLOMBIA THEY WERE IMPRESSED BY THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRADE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

MR. COOPER CITED A NUMBER OF INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS INCLUDING ROADS AND AIRPORT FACILITIES WHICH HE THOUGHT WOULD BE ATTRACTIVE TO ATLANTA-BASED COMPANIES, AS WELL AS OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRADING GOODS.  MR. SUND NOTED  THE CONSUMER MARKETS IN CITIES RANGING IN SIZE FROM 600,000 TO 6 MILLION PEOPLE, AND THE OPENNESS OF THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT TO PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS SUCH AS THE DEVELOPMENT OF FOREIGN TRADE ZONES THAT WOULD BE OPERATED BY PRIVATE

COMPANIES.

PART OF THE CRITERIA FOR THE INDIVIDUALS INVITED WAS TO INCLUDE EXECUTIVES NOT NECESSARILY FAMILIAR WITH SOUTH AMERICA OR COLOMBIA, BUT WHO WOULD BENEFIT FROM WHAT THEY LEARNED FROM MEETINGS WITH BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT LEADERS BY TURNING THEIR NEW CONTACTS INTO FUTURE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITIES, SAID STEVE ALBEE, PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL.

THE GROUP’S ITINERARY INCLUDED MEETINGS WITH THE MINISTER OF TRADE AND VICE PRESIDENT OF COLOMBIA, THE MINISTER OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THE PRESIDENT OF PROEXPORT – COLOMBIA AND THE U.S. AMBASSADOR TO COLOMBIA, MORRIS BUSBY.

OTHER CITIES REPRESENTED ON THE MISSION  ALSO INCLUDED: MIAMI, FT. LAUDERDALE, TAMPA, ST. PETERSBURG, TALLAHASSEE, CHARLESTON, MEMPHIS, BIRMINGHAM AND NEW ORLEANS.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: CALL MR. ALBEE AT (305) 373-1225, FAX: 373-1325.