2012 Investment & Trade Mission to Central America

2012-08-09

Central America is an emerging region for development, with stable growth in exports of a variety of raw materials, along with an increase of foreign investment.  Five countries of Central America have signed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Taiwan, which import products such as packaging machines, electronic products, green energy systems, security equipments, and auto parts from Taiwan.  The mutual trade volume has increased by 30% in 2011 compared with the previous year, reaching the amount of USD 770 million in total.  In addition, Central America also signed comprehensive trade incentive agreements with the nearby countries, such as the United States, Mexico and South America.  By implementing direct investments or setting up logistic centers in Central America, Taiwanese companies not only would be able to reduce their costs, but also can take the said advantages to strengthen their competiveness as well as to expand business opportunities to both North and South American countries.

CATO selected 5 Taiwanese companies to compose the“2012 Investment & Trade Mission to Central America”. The main objective of the Mission is to study local investment environment of Central America in search of business opportunities and strategic alliance partnership to set up factories or logistic warehouses for manufacturing or distribution of their products, and thus, to enhance the bilateral relationship of economic cooperation between the Rep. of China (Taiwan) and its Central American allied towards promoting mutual benefit.

The mission was led by Amb. Carlos S.C. Liao, CATO’s new Executive Director, to visit the 6 Taiwan’s allied countries in the region.  Amb. Liao and his delegation visited the respective authorities of both government sector and local major commercial & industrial associations that have been related to CATO, including five viceministers of Foreign Affairs, several ministers or viceministers of Economy or Commerce & Industry or Tourism, to collect the most updated information of economy & investment of each country, while the Mission’s investors or buyer interacted with their Central American partners with fruitful outcome.  Hence, CATO managed the occasion to coordinate with concerned institutions of each country to pre-consult, review, control or reconfirm the process of various projects that CATO implements this year, as continuous steps to follow up.