After the Mission to Guatemala
The Minister of Trade and Industry, the Honourable Stephen Cadiz, has signalled our country’s intent to ensure that the proposed Partial Scope Agreement with Trinidad and Tobago and Guatemala becomes a reality. Our recently concluded Guatemalan Trade Mission to participate in that country’s INDUEXPO was a fruitful one where firms which attended have already indicated promising business leads, resulting from their pre-arranged business-2-business meetings. The contacts and strategic alliances made with their Central American counterparts will augur well for progressing trade ties with Central America, a market of over 40 million people.
As an exploratory initiative into Guatemala, the Chamber’s delegation represented the following sectors:
- Food and Beverage
- Construction and Building
- Distribution
- Furniture
- Chemicals
- Shipping
- Manufacturing
- Pharmaceuticals
- Real Estate
According to Chamber President, Andrew Sabga, “This is the beginning of a very valuable relationship between the businessmen of Trinidad and Tobago and their Guatemalan and Central American counterparts. Our country responded to an invitation received from the President of Guatemala to the Honourable Prime Minister, Mrs. Kamla Persad-Bissessar. Minister Cadiz, who represented the Prime Minister, took part in a series of Government-2-Government meetings which included meetings with the Guatemalan President and the Minister of the Economy. He also took the opportunity to participate in sessions with the Guatemalan Private Sector Organisations. We are confident that our Government’s presence would go a long way in paving the way for future business.”
Our visit to Guatemala amplified the Chamber’s previous efforts in October 2010, when we brought a Central American delegation to T&T.
On the return mission, our delegation had the opportunity to meet not only with Guatemalan officials and businesspeople but also with firms from other Central American countries. Interactions like these serve to bolster initiatives by our Private Sector to diversify its export base by looking for dynamic, untapped economies.
We were encouraged by the level of enthusiasm displayed by our hosts. This trade mission provided the opportunities for concurrent business-2-business and government-to-government sessions. The Guatemalan way, like much of Latin America, is about first building relationships with prospective counterparts, which is what is required for any solid future trade and investment relations. Our interactions with the Guatemalans, through the various meetings and networking sessions, allowed us to understand the culture of how business is done there, and to better comprehend some of the similarities and differences with Trinidad and Tobago in the way they do business.
The “Guatemaltecos” as they are also known, are a people rich with culture and history who enjoy showing their beautiful country off to foreigners. Their pride and love of country is strong. We visited the old city, dubbed “Antigua”, resplendent with cobblestone streets and Spanish architecture. There were many visible signs of restoration projects which are being undertaken by the Guatemalan government.
Based on meetings held with the Guatemalans, in conjunction with our Minister of Trade, T&T’s business sector is now poised to take another step closer to building concrete business relations with our Latin American neighbours. The Chamber will continue to monitor the progress of these budding relationships and assist in whatever way possible to bring them to full fruition.
Exciting business prospects lie over the horizon!!
