MIAMI, Fla. – Enterprise Florida, Inc. (EFI) will lead a delegation of small and mid-sized businesses on an export trade mission to Buenos Aires, Argentina from April 23-27, 2017. Registration to attend is now open.
“Argentina is Florida’s fourth-largest export destination with an estimated $3.3 billion worth of exports last year,” said Manny Mencia, Senior Vice President of International Trade & Development for EFI. “The Argentine market will provide great opportunities for Florida companies due to the recent change in political leadership and a new pro-business approach for the country. New leadership is making it easier for Argentine importers to buy foreign goods and this will greatly benefit Florida’s exporting companies.”
Given the recent easing of import restrictions, there are many promising trade industry prospects. The industry sectors listed below provide the best opportunities for exports from Florida to Argentina, but there are several additional sectors that present opportunities as well. Please contact us for potential trade industries in addition to those listed below.
- Medical Technology
- Information and Communications Technology
- Telecommunications Equipment
- Transportation Infrastructure Equipment and Services
- Electronic Security Equipment
- Food Processing Equipment
- Agricultural Machinery and Parts
In May of this year EFI led a trade and development mission to Mexico. Businesses that attended reported more than $23 million in total projected export sales following the mission.
Thirty-two companies participated in the U.S. Commercial Service’s Gold Key Matching Program. The EFI Mexico office facilitated an additional three Gold Key Services, bringing the mission total to thirty-five. Altogether, more than 250 pre-qualified meetings were organized for the participating Florida companies.
“Our goal was to identify one potential distributor and we found two distributors and the largest sporting goods retailer in Mexico,” said Tom Nihra, Vice President of JTD Enterprises, Inc. in Lutz. “We would have never considered the trip without the help of the Enterprise Florida team and the SBDC Export Marketing Plan. The grants for the Export Marketing Plan and Gold Key were the reason we decided to make the trip and the success we already have had are directly related to this funding.”
Enterprise Florida will offer up to 20 Gold Key Packages to eligible, new-to-market Florida companies. Those companies will be able to take advantage of unparalleled trade facilitation services provided by the U.S. Commercial Service (USCS) in Buenos Aires. The USCS will coordinate pre-screened, one-on-one appointments with Argentinian companies and Gold Key Florida companies.
The cost for the first Gold Key company representative is $1,760 and additional company representatives can attend for $600. A delegate package is also available for $650.
Gold Key Grants are available to small and mid-sized Florida manufacturers, eligible high tech companies, and professional service providers. Qualified companies may apply for a Gold Key Grant, which will reimburse the $1,760 registration fee for the first company representative.
The Gold Key registration deadline is December 16, 2016 and the Delegate registration deadline is March 17, 2017.
To register or apply for a Gold Key grant, please contact Jorge Riano at [email protected].
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Enterprise Florida, Inc. (EFI) is a partnership between Florida’s businesses and government leaders and is the principal economic development organization for Florida. EFI facilitates job growth through recruitment and retention, international trade and exporting, promotion of sporting events, and capital funding programs to assist small and minority businesses. EFI launched “Florida – The Future is Here” to promote the state as the nation’s premier business destination.