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Este informe no está disponible en español. CARIBBEAN BUSINESSPromoexport Has Major Plans For 2002Agency to develop trade & export center, cruise ship exhibit, interactive exhibit at LMM airport, shoewroom & distribution center in St. Martin, and health fairBY LIDA ESTELA RUAÑODecember 13, 2001 Promoexport, the trade arm of the Commerce Development Administration (CDA), has an aggressive plan for 2002 that includes a trade & export center, a cruise ship exhibit visiting regional ports, an interactive export-product exhibit at the Luis Muñoz Marin airport (LMM), a showroom & distribution center in St. Martin, and a health fair promoting local healthcare facilities. CDA Administrator & Promoexport Executive Director Carlos Santiago said the Promoexport board of director’s enthusiasm toward the trade & export center has led it to ask him to find a locale where it can open during the first quarter of next year. The idea is to have a place where exporters can conduct all necessary procedures, including having representatives on hand from the U.S. Export/Import Bank, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the U.S.Customs Service, Promoexport, and the CDA. Another must for the project is to have a permanent exhibit of local export products from the commercial, manufacturing, agriculture, and tourism sectors. Santiago said that Promoexport will emulate Germany’s trade expertise, which draws people to their country’s exhibits and fairs, instead of traveling all over the world promoting their products. "We can be hosts to North and South Americans as well as residents of the Caribbean, who are potential clients for our goods," Santiago said. Another project to be started in the summer of 2002 is a floating exhibit to be held on a cruise ship, which visits five to seven Caribbean countries. "By meeting and coordinating with the various chambers of commerce in the region when the ship makes a stopover in their country, these organizations can bring their members to visit and place orders," Santiago said, adding that construction materials and food products are naturals to sell in the area. The ship exhibits eliminates the cumbersome process of passing the exhibition products through customs. During the first quarter of 2002, Promoexport will set up interactive exhibits of exportable products at the LMM airport to take advantage of the high traffic of neighboring island residents or tourists, who make brief stopovers at LMM. "By just pushing a touchtone button, people can find all the information they need about certain products or about Promoexport, and they can call us directly from the booths," said Liana Loyola, CDA deputy administrator. Loyola added that Promoexport is planning to have an exhibition and distribution center in the French/Dutch island of St. Martin during the second semester of 2002 "to enable us to penetrate this market as well as the two European Union former mother countries of the island." Late next year, Promoexport will promote a local health fair and will invite residents from neighboring islands to Puerto Rico for their healthcare needs. "Our medical staff are graduates of the best U.S. mainland universities and we have excellent hospitals," said Santiago adding that the fact the island is bilingual, close-by and much cheaper, should be a powerful incentive for neighbors to come here to receive medical treatment. Luis R. Benitez, CDA assistant administrator in charge of planning, said the Administration is creating an exporters register and already has some 128,000 establishments throughout the 78 municipalities on its list. The idea is to have a register of the products each company exports, where they export, their value, and whether companies are local or foreign-owned. Benitez said that the directory would be available through the Internet in the first quarter of 2002. Santiago said the Promoexport-sponsored trade mission program is being evaluated in terms of how to achieve its objectives, the countries to be selected, and the participants. He explained the Promoexport board asked that all events be cancelled until a thorough evaluation of the trade mission program is completed. Santiago’s goal is to complete the analysis by February so Promoexport can focus on organizing new results-oriented missions under stricter parameters. The missions program has a $615,000 budget. Promoexport’s total budget is $14.6 million and it has a staff of 88. "Last year Promoexport participated in 29 missions. This is too much. I prefer less missions, which are much more targeted in terms of the market segments we are aiming at. We want participants to come back happy because they were able to sell their products," he said, adding that he seeks closer cooperation with businesspersons so that he can get effective figures of what was actually sold. One thing is sure, Promoexport’s target will be the greater Caribbean, including the north part of South America, Mexico, and Hispanic markets in the U.S. As of now, the only trade missions Promoexport will participate in are the Food Fair in Barcelona (March 4 to March 8), ExpoComer in Panama (March 6 top March 10), and Expo-Puerto Rico in the Dominican Republic (May 2002), all regular events that Promoexport has taken part in for years. Santiago said the Calderon administration will keep the government of Puerto Rico’s commercial offices, all of which are under the Economic Development & Commerce Department. These are located in Spain, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Chile, and Panama. The Caldeorn administration shut down the commercial offices in Brazil and Costa Rica and a contract for representation in Argentina. This Caribbean Business article appears courtesy of Casiano Communications.
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