SAVE THE DATE – SEMINAR ON LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN 

Theme:                 Latin America and the Caribbean in the horizon – closer than ever

Time:                     Monday, August 28, at 15:00 – 17:30 hrs

Venue:                 The House of the Estates (Säätytalo), Snellmaninkatu 9-11, Helsinki

Registration:      LINK  – register by August 24, 2017

Please, save this date in your calendar.  We will send you more information on the seminar after the summer holidays. Seminar is offered free of charge but requires a pre-registration; you can register already now via the link provided above.  The seminar language is English.

Dear Madam/Sir,

Over the past two decades, Finnish companies have not utilized the potential of Latin America and the Caribbean region (LAC) fully.  Now, it is time to look at these market areas closer with a broad mind in the upcoming seminar where you can update your country knowledge, learn about the free trade agreements, the business environment and business potential, and meet the key persons at your service in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru.   

For Finnish companies, the LAC region offers new possibilities to expand and diversify their businesses. The LAC region seems to have turned the corner: after six years of slowdown, including two of recession, it is growing again. Stronger global demand and higher prices for raw materials (projected to rise 8%) are contributing to boosting economic growth in the region (WB). Goods and services from special niche areas will be in demand and this offers possibilities to Finnish companies

Finland is regarded well in the LAC region; especially the Finnish education system is benchmarked by many Latin American governments.  Several LAC counties are reforming not only their education systems, but also the expanding digitalization is bringing reforms e.g. to the ICT and energy sectors.   The Finnish companies with expertise in telecommunications, renewable energy, energy efficiency and bio-economy should tap into these opportunities.

In the new political situation, the EU is striving to strengthen its political and external economic relations with the LAC countries, and at the same time negotiating several free trade agreements: Pacific Alliance and Mercosur.  The renewed agreements will be beneficial also to Finland and Finnish companies working in the region.

• The Pacific Alliance (PA) is regional economic and trade integration process comprised by Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. The countries have a combined population of 225 million, and in 2014, they accounted for over 58% of Latin America’s total trade and 36% of the region’s GDP.  The PA’s objectives are to build an area of deep integration to lead progressively towards the free movements of goods, services, resources and people, drive further growth, development and competitiveness of the economies of its members.
• Mercosur countries: Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay are currently negotiating a bilateral free trade agreement with the EU.  The planned trade deal would cover topics such as goods and services market access, public procurement, intellectual property, sustainable development issues, and food safety, among others. A recent discussions were held in March 2017.

Finland has embassies in Mexico City, Lima, Santiago de Chile, Buenos Aires and Brasilia. The liaison office in Bogota, Colombia will receive its embassy status in September 2017, and a new consulate will be open in São Paulo during the fall. In addition to the previous, the Roving Ambassador based in Helsinki, will promote and assist in business and diplomatic issues in the Caribbean region. Finpro has offices in Mexico City, Lima, Santiago de Chile and São Paulo. The Finnish embassies and Finpro’s offices are offering their services to the business community free of charge and will assist in the internationalization endeavors of Finnish companies by opening doors, giving advice and prestige services. We encourage you to be in touch, both in Finland and in the region.  The Finnish-Latin American Association promotes trade and investments between Finland and Latin American countries. Key persons from these organizations will be available for discussions at the seminar.

The Team Finland is inviting you to attend the seminar, meet stakeholders and learn more about the business opportunities in LAC region on Monday, August 28, 2017.

Welcome !

For more information, please contact:

Ms. Kirsti Tarvainen, Manager, Finpro Ltd., +358 40 34 33 434, kirsti.tarvainen@finpro.fi

Ms. Anne Hatanpää, Liaison Manager, Finland Chamber of Commerce, anne.hatanpaa@chamber.fi, +358 50 320 9539

Ms. Liisa Maunula, Counsellor, Team Leader (South America), Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, liisa.maunula@formin.fi, +358 50 410 4221