Friday, February 1, 2007

International Mining Cafe

Odette Corbu, Trade Commissioner
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
Ontario Region

You are cordially invited to the International Mining Café
At the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada International Convention – PDAC 2008

Organized by The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) in collaboration with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), this unique event will provide an opportunity to meet with DFAIT’s Trade Commissioners from around the world and other experts from government and the private sector. Businesses will be able to meet in one place at one time with the individuals who can assist them to access and expand their global mining reach.

This is a FREE event and you DO NOT have to be registered with PDAC 2008 to attend.

We have been contracted to coordinate all registrations for this event and to schedule individual meetings for you on the day. Should you require any additional information or clarification, please contact:

6th Latin American Leadership Forum - 'Building the Global Network for Sustained Competitiveness & Opportunity'

Save the date! April 1-3, 2008 in Miami, Florida (just prior to the Annual Meetings of the Inter-American Development Bank).

Strategic Projects - The 6° Annual Leadership Forum hosts the Top 50 strategic infrastructure projects in Latin America, across 10 sectors - electricity generation, water/wastewater, ports & logistics, mining, urban mass transit, tourism, highways, oil & gas, 'new' infrastructure and strategic projects (those that most transform the region's competitiveness). The theme - "Building the Global Network for Sustained Competitiveness & Opportunity" - focuses on bringing global resources - and a vision of where the world is going - to the design and financing of the next generation of projects. 50 Project Presentations, each of 10-12 minutes, over two days!

CEO Forum - A new and innovative feature of the 6° Leadership Forum is the participation of 10 key infrastructure decision-makers from around the globe, including 5 CEO's and an equal number of heads of state. Presentations will be both live and interactive, and pre-taped, focusing on why Latin America needs to quadruple its investment in infrastructure, how that is going to happen, and who is going to benefit - over 30 years!

Private Meetings - Private Meetings will go live on January 31, 2008. Each registrant in the Forum has the right to schedule up to 15 private meetings, each of 15 minutes in length, with project presenters, sponsors, and participating CEO's. This evolving model has proven highly successful. As one participant in our recent Global Infrastructure Leadership Forum said "this works great, I make my numbers every year at your meetings - and since you started our revenues have grown 20 times!"

"Deep Dives" - Increasingly the Leadership Forum provides context for private sector participants, and a strong feedback loop for the public sector, through workshops, roundtables and breakfasts, all organized by sponsors and focused on specific topics. Last year's successful workshops included a World Economic Forum event on infrastructure financing; for this year the 'deep dives' will focus on Brazil, South American and IIRSA, "What is Really Going on in the Region's Infrastructure - Winning and Losing Sectors, Countries and Regions," and "Making the DR/Cafta Competitive."

World Class Sponsors - Key sponsors for the 6° Annual Latin American Leadership Forum include the following: Platinum - Banco Centro-Americano de Integración Regional, CEI-RD Gold -- Banco do Brasil, CitiBank, Export Development Canada; MIGA - World Bank Group, and Panalpina.

CG/LA Infrastructure LLC
1730 Rhode Island Ave., NW
Suite 707
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: (202) 776-0990
Fax: (202) 776-0994
Email: nfa@cg-la.com

Av. Paulista, 2, 202 Cj 61
Sao Paulo, S.P. 01310 300, Brazil
Tel: 55 11 3285-2055
Fax: 55 11 3285-2967

Minister Emerson met with Mercedes Aráoz Fernandez, Peruvian Minister of International Trade and Tourism, on the margins of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to mark the conclusion of free trade negotiations with Peru which began in July, 2007.

"Peru has emerged as one of the most dynamic economies in the Americas, supported by an aggressive commerce agenda and clear stance in favour of trade liberalization," said Minister Emerson. "This FTA with Peru will further solidify our trade and investment relationship and open up opportunities for Canadian business in a range of sectors, including agriculture, natural resources and services."

Peru will provide greater market access for a range of Canadian agricultural products, as well as paper products and machinery and equipment. Agreement has also been reached with respect to cross-border trade in services in sectors of interest to Canada including mining, energy and professional services.

Through this FTA, greater stability, transparency and protection for Canadian investments in Peru has been achieved, building on the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement signed by the two countries in 2006.

"Peru is a growing destination for Canadian investment," added Minister Emerson. "This FTA will create a more receptive environment for Canadian investors while increasing the prosperity of Peruvians."

Provisions with respect to environmental protection, biodiversity and corporate social responsibility are included in an environment agreement. For the first time in Canadian FTA negotiations, agreement has also been reached on the establishment of a Trade Related Cooperation Committee to oversee trade-related capacity building activities associated with the FTA.

A Labour Cooperation Agreement, which includes enforcement obligations and associated penalties, has also been negotiated.

"I have seen first-hand, how Peru is committed to improving labour conditions in their country," said Minister Blackburn. "This is the most comprehensive labour cooperation agreement ever negotiated by Canada."

In 2006, two-way merchandise trade between Canada and Peru totalled CDN$2.4 billion. Canada is also one of Peru's most important sources of foreign direct investment in the mining sector, and among the largest overall foreign investors with an estimated CDN$2.9 billion of investment stock as of 2006. In 2004, Canadian commercial services exports to Peru totalled approximately CDN$46 million.

Comprehensive consultations were undertaken with Canadians which indicated broad support for an FTA with Peru. In order for this treaty to be implemented, a full legal review of the texts will be required before signature and before proceeding with legislative processes in each country.

The conclusion of this FTA with Peru builds on Prime Minister Harper's commitment to reviving and expanding Canadian political and economic engagement in the Americas, which is a major foreign policy goal of the Government of Canada.

This Agreement with Peru also builds on the success of Canada's existing FTAs with the U.S. and Mexico (NAFTA), with Chile, with Israel and with Costa Rica. Together, these countries represent a market of 459 million consumers, with a combined GDP of CDN$16.4 trillion. Two-way trade with these countries totalled CDN$604 billion in 2006, which represents 72% of Canada's foreign trade.

Though economists usually cite Chile and Brazil as the most promising Latin American countries of the near future, World Bank economist Marcelo M. Giugale is betting on Peru.

According to Latin American Post, "[e]xports have risen at an average annual rate of 24 percent since 2001, including an 18 percent annual rise in nontraditional exports, mostly agricultural goods and textiles. Foreign direct investment has soared from $810 million in 2000 to $3.5 billion last year."

Peru 's impressive growth also includes showing six years of steady growth, one of the longest periods for the region, and one of the lowest inflation rates for Latin America.

To help reverse deceleration in industry in manufacturing, the Chilean government will help exporters hurt by Chile's strengthening currency.

"The government will pump $15 million into export-promotion programs, help companies identify new markets and add financing to its export-guarantee system for small and medium-sized enterprises. It will also provide $8 million to subsidize wages for agricultural workers, Velasco said."

Venezuela Invests in Science and Tech
(Prensa Latina)

Investments in science and technology in Venezuela reached 2.11 percent of the Gross Domestic Product, part of the regulations established by law, Venezuelan Science and Technology Minister Hector Navarro said.

Navarro explained this result represents a tenfold increase within a year and, in the hydrocarbon sector, some 46 enterprises contributed with nearly 1.37 billion dollars.

The Science, Technology and Innovation Organic Law (LOCTI) establishes that companies involved in oil activities contribute to this scientific field with 2 percent of their annual gross income.

For mining enterprises and electricity generators and distributors, the amount is 1 percent, and other productive sectors give 0.5 percent of their income.

Colombia's Alvaro Uribe and Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez are quickly developing a great working relationship, " rapidly moving to strike energy deals, resolve a boundary dispute and increase trade, with Colombia's exports to Venezuela climbing to a record $4 billion this year," as reported by Latin American Post.

The similar governing styles and priorities may have helped shape the current bond, mending ties that were strained since 2005 up until the recent months.

The Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA), at their meeting during Marketplace 2008, praised the recent Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union that will ensure continued support of tourism interests in the Caribbean.

This is the first-ever international treaty to include language on Caribbean tourism and thus gives recognition to the importance of the development of the tourism industry that has become central to the future success of the regional economy.

As a result of this agreement, CHA looks forward to the establishment of an appropriate Cariforum mechanism that will lead to the rapid implementation of what has been agreed in order that the industry may improve its competitiveness in preparation for the agreed upon level of services liberalization.

“The Caribbean Hotel Association wishes to commend Ambassador Richard Bernal, the Director General of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM) and his team of negotiators for successfully concluding this Economic Partnership Agreement,” said Peter Odle, President of CHA.

“CHA further commends the manner in which negotiating ministers, ambassadors and the CRNM fought for a text that reflected the aspirations of the tourism and hotel industry and our needs,” Odle added.

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Disclaimer – CCA Update is provided as an information service to our members and key contacts. It is designed to provide the most up-to-date trade information from a variety of sources. The information we feature does not necessarily reflect the Council’s opinion on a given international trade issue. Although we endeavour to disclose accurate and timely information, there can be no guarantee that such information is accurate as of the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future. The Canadian Council for the Americas cannot assume any responsibility for actions taken solely or principally on the basis of information provided.