Friday, January 11, 2007

2008 is the year of the Americas. The time is right! There is a re-engagement of the government policy makers seeking to showcase the Americas and business continues to expand hemispherically.

The CCA plays an important role to support and enhance the America’s agenda. We have a well-developed network of contacts with government, business, academia and associations throughout the region to facilitate business linkages. The CCA undertakes a number of initiatives to create visibility on regional issues and opportunities for policy development including our recent participation in the House of Commons Standing Committee.

The CCA provides networking opportunities when you participate in our conferences and seminars. Our programs facilitate bilateral business opportunities for Canadian and Latin American companies and individuals. Our new communications tools such as our weekly e-newsletter and improved website http://www.ccacanada.com/ keep you informed about events and the latest news for the region.

We have ambitious plans for 2008. We look forward to working with you to ensure your success. Join our growing CCA team. Please contact either myself or our Vice President, Alma Farias, at 905 827 5646 and we will be happy to assist you.

Mary Anderson
President
The Canadian Council for the Americas
T: 416-595-5333 ext. 24
E: manderson@iecanada.com

On behalf of the Government of Canada, we are pleased to invite you to participate in a Trade Mission for Businesswomen to Jamaica and Barbados January 20-25, 2008. The Honourable Helena Guergis, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Trade, will lead the mission. As one of her priorities Secretary of State Guergis champions the involvement of businesswomen in international trade.

The trade mission will focus on opportunities in the following sectors: Agriculture (including food and beverages); Technology and Equipment; Apparel; Bio Industries (including biotech); Building Products and Construction; Education and Training; Environmental Services and Technologies; Financial Services; Health Industries (including healthcare); Information and Communications Technologies (ICT); and, Investment Services (especially banking, insurance and capital projects).

In addition, we see many opportunities in International Human Resources and Staffing Services.The program will consist of seminars and site visits, hospitality events and networking opportunities designed to introduce participants to local government decision-makers and business leaders, as well as Canadian business people active in the region with experience to share. Officials at the Canadian Embassies in Jamaica and Barbados will also work with you to identify potential business partners and set up one-on-one meetings.

Carrie Marr
Business Development Officer, International Trade Missions Division
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
613-995-9293
carrie.marr@international.gc.ca

Brigitte Martin
Business Development Officer, International Trade Missions Division
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
613-944-7072
brigitte.martin@international.gc.ca

Rosie Zolla
Trade Commissioner, Central America, Latin America and Caribbean Division
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
613-943-8807
rosie.zolla@international.gc.ca

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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

IDB’s InfraFund Approved US$8.6 Million in 2007 to Prepare New Infrastructure Projects
(IADB News)

The Inter-American Development Bank plans to finance over 18 projects for energy, transportation, and water and sanitation by providing 8.6 million dollars ( US).

Approved by Infrastructure Investment Fund (InfraFund), the money will fund over nine already-determined energy projects (including an airport, road, bus rapid transit system and railway) five water and sanitation projects, and two multisector projects.

Since 2006, InfraFund has been financing projects in over 15 different countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Haiti, Mexico, Suriname and Uruguay.

Prensa Latina reports that, “ The work in the development of science, technology and protection of environment in Cuba last year was characterized by its intensity, reads a Cuban Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (CITMA) report.”

Among Cuba’s achievements is a vaccine to protect against tetanus, hepatitis B, and whooping cough.

In cancer research, there were important findings for head and neck cancer resulting in natural medication supplements called hR3 Humanized Monoclonal Anti-body and Prevenox (D003).

Cuba has also found ways to better foster vegetal production and applied technology for green fertilizers in new coffee plantations and new banana clones were introduced.

Chilean Exporters Howling: US Dollar Falling to 480 Pesos
(Mercopress)

Summary of original article:

The Chilean Association of Exporters (ASOEX) urges the country’s authorities in helping to prevent the US dollar from falling, “which has considerably diminished the country’s export and import substitution sectors capacity” according to Mercopress.

“Asoex demands fiscal and monetary policies be implemented to help alleviate the adverse conditions for exporting (higher costs in Chilean pesos and less income in US dollars)….”

Asoex threatens to otherwise hold the government responsible for job loss and for Chile not achieving agribusiness power in the coming years, should that happen.

This week’s drop of the US dollar brought Chilean currency down to 487 pesos, the lowest in eight years. The push has come as a result of soaring price of copper, Chile’s main export commodity.

Santiago monetary experts predict the exchange rate deteriorating further and the US dollar reaching 480 Chilean pesos.

For the full story, click here: http://www.mercopress.com/vernoticia.do?id=12369&formato=html

Mexican President Felipe Calderon defended a regional trade deal on Monday even as farm groups were mounting protests against an expected flood of cheap U.S. agricultural goods since all tariffs ended January 1.”

At the start of the year Mexico lifted 14 years of protection for corn, beans, milk and sugar under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that took effect in 1994. The regional trade pact groups Mexico, the United States and Canada.

The move will allow the United States, the world's biggest corn producer, to sell more to the country that claims to have discovered the grain.

Some Mexican farmers say competing against highly subsidized U.S. goods could put thousands out of work on top of about 2 million Mexican farm jobs lost over the last decade.

But Calderon said increased trade integration with the United States and Canada was the only way to strengthen Mexico's economy. …

The first of seven direct Santiago-Havana flights of a Cubana IL-96 will take 230 Chilean tourists in January and February to Havana, Chile Havanatur director Rafael Alcala announced Wednesday.

The inaugural flight will leave Santiago de Chile late Thursday night and will be taxiing to a gate at Jose Marti International Airport in the morning.

Some time before leaving, Cubana de Aviacion Airline executives in charge of charters flights will exhibit the modern IL-96 to tour operators, travel agents and journalists.

Alcala told Prensa Latina that these direct flights are destined to increase tourism from Chile and reposition Cubana de Aviacion Airline in Chile.

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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.