From the perspective of Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) trade, the first decade of the 21st century was all about Asia. Driven by China’s strong growth and soaring demand for natural resources, trade between LAC and Asia grew at an annual average rate of 24 percent between 2003 and 2011. However, this once-dynamic relationship has now encountered serious headwinds. Trade … [Read more...] about How trade, investment and cooperation between Japan and Latin America and the Caribbean can inspire our future trade relationship with Asia
Regional Cooperation
Indirect Exports: A Simple Route to Internationalization for SMEs?
In practically every country in the world, the percentage of large companies that export is much higher than the share of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that do so. This is due, among other factors, to the fact that large companies tend to have higher profit margins than SMEs and can thus underwrite the additional costs associated with the export process (e.g., … [Read more...] about Indirect Exports: A Simple Route to Internationalization for SMEs?
How Will New Technologies Impact Integration in Latin America?
Handling large volumes of information that are constantly being updated is one of the major challenges that we will be facing in the near future. Large companies use big data techniques every day to get to know their consumers better and to hone their marketing strategies. Countries are also using big data to update their investment attraction policies and promote trade … [Read more...] about How Will New Technologies Impact Integration in Latin America?
The Importance of Inclusive Trade in Economic Development
This past two weeks, leaders from around the world gathered in New York to attend the United Nation’s General Assembly. One of the topics of discussion was the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a set of 17 goals focused on improving the prosperity of people and the planet. One of the recurring themes in the 2030 Agenda is the role of trade in supporting economic growth … [Read more...] about The Importance of Inclusive Trade in Economic Development
Where to get trade and market access data for Latin America and the Caribbean?
Last September we held a live webinar (in Spanish) to present the INTrade website. The presentation focused on the visualization tools of the system, and showed the basic queries that give access to the specific data that may be of use to whoever seeks to learn more about trade flows and the barriers and opportunities in regional trade. If you missed the webinar, you can watch … [Read more...] about Where to get trade and market access data for Latin America and the Caribbean?