Trade mission to South America continues
Posted on Saturday, August 16, 2008
BENTON COUNTY - U. S. Rep. John Boozman, R-Ark., and representatives of the Arkansas World Trade Center are on a trade mission to South America.
The mission to Brazil and Peru is aimed at facilitating trade in Arkansas goods with South America.
This trade mission is to explore opportunities in agriculture, commercial business, economic development and investment within the state of Arkansas, Boozman said in a press release issued before the mission began.
The delegation will also promote diplomacy and build relationships with established businesses that would make strong trade partners, according to the press release.
On the eight-day mission are Boozman; Dan Hendrix, Arkansas World Trade Center president; Herbert Morales, Arkansas World Trade Center Latin America Trade Development director; Andy Horowitz, University of Arkansas College of Business; Stanley Reed, Arkansas Farm Bureau; Mark Goodman, Arkansas Economic Development Commission director of business retention and expansion; Phillip Terry, Tucker PPT Connect president; and Kent Langum, Assembled Products Corp. vice president.
Group members will have a chance to meet with key government officials and business leaders, with the meetings facilitated in conjunction with the Arkansas World Trade Center and the U. S. Commercial Services, Embassies and World Trade Center Sao Paulo, the release states.
"This is a great opportunity to showcase the products made by hardworking Arkansans at a global level. I'm pleased to be part of this proactive approach to open up trade in the Natural State," Boozman said in the release.
Brazil is the leader in biofuel development. U. S. exports increased by 215 percent between 1992 and 2006 and are the largest imports / exports for Brazil's economy, with a trade amount of some $ 40 billion annually, the press release states.
Peru signed a U. S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement in 2007. It eliminated 80 percent of the duties for consumer and industrial goods, two-thirds of which were for agricultural exports to Peru, the release states.
Since 2005, trade has doubled, to $ 9 billion annually, according to the release.
The eight-day mission began Sunday, said Sara Lasure, Boozman's communications director.
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