In the UK there is a tendency to consume more palm oil from sustainable production and it has become the third largest global importer of this product.
From an article by the Foreign Trade Promotion Office of Costa Rica (PROCOMER):
Palm oil is the second most consumed oil in the world. The UK is the third global importer of this product, which is used in food, cosmetic and oleo-chemical products.
Art form or not, in China alcohol is key to doing business despite the government recently having it forbidden in official meetings.
"Anyone who does not understand the culture here does not win at the table," says the communicator Xiu Weiliang, who has risen to fame after launching his course entitled 'The art of drinking', which thousands have already signed up to.
From 4 to 6 June, eight Guatemalan companies will present their products at the 12th edition of Alimentaria Mexico, Food and Beverage Expo which will involve eleven thousand buyers from 32 countries.
From a press release issued by the Guatemalan Association of Exporters (AGEXPORT):
The Food and Beverage Commission together with the Trade Promotion department of AGEXPORT is preparing to participate in the 12th edition of Alimentaria Mexico, Food & Beverage Expo with a delegation of eight Guatemalan companies who will present wares ranging from ingredients to processed foods, and ready to eat goods, that meet the highest standards of quality for the international market.The fair will be held from 4 to 6 June at the Centro Banamex in Mexico City.
On May 29 a seminar will be held where the opportunities existing in Sweden for agricultural products, textiles, food and beverages manufactured in Guatemala will be presented.
From a press release issued by the Guatemalan Association of Exporters (AGEXPORT):
AGEXPORT's Foreign Trade School along with the Swedish Embassy in Guatemala, are to hold a seminar entitled "Exporting to Sweden and the European Union", in order to get to know the opportunities offered by Sweden for products generated by Guatemalan companies. The activity will take place on Wednesday, May 29, 2013 at the premises of AGEXPORT from 7:30 to 12:00 hrs.
They are interested in finding out about the legal certainty offered with Guatemala and incentives that favor businesses who decide to settle in the country.
According to Alex Yang, CEO of the Halo industrial zone, located in Shanghai, they are looking to bring about solid business deals. Yang said that the visit is exploratory and the information collected will be taken back to China to show to interested investors who want to know about Guatemala's incentives for settling there.
An Environmental Business Management Unit is to be created in order to promote the environmental competitiveness of the export sector.
From a note by the Guatemalan Exporters Association (AGEXPORT):
AGEXPORT is in the process of creating the Corporate Environmental Management Unit, which will operate under the Development Division, in order to promote systematic and continuous environmental competitiveness of the export sector of Guatemala, through responsible environmental practices.
Six companies from the food, agriculture and plastic's industries visited Mexico to present their products for export.
From a note from the Guatemalan Exporters Association (AGEXPORT):
Under the framework of the Mesoamerican Mesa proyect by AGEXPORT, 6 food companies, from the agricultural, foods and plastics industry visited the Mexican cities, Mexico City, Toluca and Puebla, and met with Fernando Andrade Díaz-Durán, Ambassador of Guatemala to Mexico, and COMCE representatives from that country, in order to present their export projects, and show their willingness to do business with the neighboring country.
The company Gildan Activewear expects that its plant in Honduras will allow it to attract brands concerned about working conditions in Asia.
The company explained that its growth in Honduras could attract large companies seeking to repatriate their production to the American continent, in light of poor working conditions in Bangladesh exposed by the collapse that killed 400 workers.
The activity, to be held on July 4, seeks to bring together providers of goods and services in the production chain in the country in order to generate business for domestic SMEs.
From a press release issued by the Guatemalan Association of Exporters (AGEXPORT):
Through the National Macro Meetings on Supply Chain, a specialized commercial forum, AGEXPORT aims to bring together providers of goods and services in the production chain in the country with multisectoral companies and large chains such as hotels, restaurants and hospitals for mass consumption, in order to achieve better business for domestic SMEs in the production chain. The Macro Round will take place on July 4, 2013 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Guatemala City.
Central American entrepreneurs will propose to Barack Obama the revival of a project conceived in 1996 by the Regional Energy Forum of Central America.
The aim of this initiative is to lower energy costs and increase production through this route. According to Joseph Adam Aguerri, president of the Superior Council of Private Enterprise of Nicaragua (Cosep), at the meeting of the Central American Integration System which will involve Obama, entrepreneurs will propose the project in order to make the region more competitive .
In order to stimulate the Mexican chocolate industry the government of the country will be allowing cocoa imports .
From an article by the Costa Rican Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER):
Chocolate is a product that Mexico supplies to the world and which is currently going through hard times in this country. The duty free import of foreign chocolate and the protection Mexican cocoa producers have enjoyed for years, has led to the closing or sale of several companies, as happened last year with La Cubana and Wong's, and before that Larin and Azteca.
ProMéxico is preparing, for sometime in June, a trade mission to Costa Rica and Guatemala for SMEs from the sectors of fresh and processed foods, plastics, and the automotive industry.
According to Edmundo González, coordinator of ProMéxico (organizer of the mission in conjunction with Canacintra), "the range of opportunities in both countries is very wide and interesting for the food sector, both fresh and processed, plastics, automotive and foundry industries, and for this reason we are inviting small and medium enterprises to explore these possibilities. "
Using first world technology and management the Panamanian company Veggie Fresh Invest will be sending two containers a week of hydroponically produced peppers to the U.S..
"I would say we did things as they should be done, which is a little opposite to how traditional farmers do things: first plant and then look for the customer," said the entrepreneur Guillermo Villarreal, owner of the company.
The event for tire dealers will be held from 24 to 27 July at the Atlapa Convention Center in Panama.
This year, more than 200 international exhibitors, including tire manufacturers and major suppliers of reconditioned and recycled tires, rims, machinery and related equipment, will participate in the event.
"Latin American & CaribbeanTyre Expo", will bring together tire distributors in Central America, South America and the Caribbean, allowing them to expand their market.
In April and May, two Peruvian trade mission will visit Panama, Costa Rica and Guatemala in search of business opportunities.
The Exporters Association of Peru (ADEX) has organized two trade missions from companies from various sectors and foreign trade students from Peru.
Gestion.pe reports that "the first exploration mission from the imports and logistics sector will be held from 16th to 20th of April in Panama and aims at learning about the trade and development opportunities in this country which trades with the world more than $18 billion and through which passes 14,000 ships and more than 12 million containers a year. "