FORTIFYING TIES
TBY talks to Enrique Peña Nieto, President of Mexico, on the role trade agreements will play in strengthening bilateral trade as well as specific sectors which will be at the forefront of that growth.
BIOGRAPHY
HE Enrique Peña Nieto holds a bachelor’s degree in law from Universidad Panamericana and a master’s degree in business from Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education. Early in his career he held a number of positions within the State of Mexico’s government, including Sub-Secretary of the Interior, Administrative Secretary, President of the Directive Council of Social Security, President of the Internal Council of Health, and Vice-President of the National System for Integral Family Development. In 2003 he won the election as a State Deputy in his hometown of Atlacomulco. In 2005 he became Governor of the State of Mexico. He was sworn in as President of Mexico on December 1, 2012.President Santos visited Mexico in May 2015 and signed several agreements. In which specific areas did the two countries decide to collaborate and boost bilateral cooperation?
During the visit of President Santos to Mexico, we did in fact sign several agreements, the most important of which was the MoU for the Establishment of Strategic Relationship. Specifically, we signed academic and diplomatic cooperation agreements, as well as others in the fields of production linkages, tourism, higher education, and consumer protection. In addition, we identified areas where we can continue to cooperate, such as sanitary and phytosanitary regulation to facilitate trade between Colombia and Mexico. Other areas of cooperation include air transport, culture, student mobility, migration, and science and technology, particularly directed at the agricultural, environmental, and healthcare sectors. In the same vein, we reiterated our commitment to the consolidation of the Pacific Alliance.
What is the importance of the Pacific Alliance in connecting companies from these countries to the productive value chains?
The Pacific Alliance is at the same time both a valuable tool in the ongoing project of integration and trade liberalization in Latin America and an open and inclusive mechanism that provides a solid basis for cooperation between its members and its observer countries. Through this mechanism, companies in Colombia and Mexico, as well as Chile and Peru, are closer to each other thanks to the facilitation and unification of trade rules. In particular, the Pacific Alliance has a Working Group on SMEs, with the strategic objective of inserting them into global value chains. To this end, three major actions were promoted, namely the development of a collaborative study with the OECD to identify opportunities for SMEs in global production chains, the establishment of Network Business Development Centers that will start to work in 2016 in order to provide training and advice to SMEs and all entrepreneurs in the region, and the creation of the Venture Capital Fund, which will have an initial investment of $100 million and will start operating in 2017.
How has the FTA between Colombia and Mexico helped drive growth between the two countries?
The FTA signed in the 1990s has promoted significant trade growth between Colombia and Mexico. In 1994, we had bilateral trade of about $427 million. We have seen this figure grow by 1,300% to its current level of more than $5.7 billion. Colombia is now the second largest trading partner of Mexico in Latin America and the Caribbean. Among other products, we export cars, computers, transportation vehicles, iron, steel, plastics, and tractors into the Colombian market. We must not forget that the signing of the FTA was the original seed for one of our greatest successes, as it allowed us to forge in the Pacific Alliance one of the most dynamic and innovative mechanisms of cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean.
FORTIFYING TIES
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Interview
Bruce Mac Master, President, National Business Association of Colombia (ANDI)
TBY talks to Bruce Mac Master, President of the National Business Association of Colombia (ANDI), on tackling obstacles to competitiveness in the economy, participating in the global value chain, and the impact of the currency devaluation.
read articleFocus: Bank Expansion Abroad
Fortune Favors the Brave
Colombian banks have greatly expanded their operations in Central America in the last decade. The dramatic growth of the middle class and the internationalization of the Colombian economy has propelled growth. The market has shaken the shackles of the large players who used to dominate the market, with smaller institutions expanding and widening their coverage across the region.
read articleInterview
Mauricio De La Mora Rodríguez, Former President, National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH)
TBY talks to Mauricio De La Mora Rodríguez, Former President of National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH), on promoting investment, gaining knowledge of offshore activities, and the short-term outlook.
read articleInterview
Eduardo Jaramillo Cuervo, President & CEO, General Electric (GE)
TBY talks to Eduardo Jaramillo Cuervo, President & CEO of General Electric (GE), on the role GE intends to play in developing Colombia's energy value chain and creating a diversified matrix to support the country's energy needs for years to come.
read articleInterview
Adriana Lucia Falla, General Manager, SoftManagement S.A
TBY talks to Adriana Lucia Falla, General Manager of SoftManagement S.A., on the important elements of the company's business, its key strengths compared to its competitors, and the significance of the IT sector in Colombia.
read articleInterview
Juan Martin Caicedo Ferrer, Executive President , Colombian Chamber of Infrastructure (CCI)
TBY talks to Juan Martin Caicedo Ferrer, Executive President of the Colombian Chamber of Infrastructure (CCI), on the future of infrastructure in the country, challenges, and the role of SMEs.
read articleFocus: 4G Generation
Motoring Toward Development
Colombia is looking toward the future and improving its transportation network by renewing road infrastructure, putting an end to the nation's underdevelopment in roads and highways. The government estimates that in the next four years the 4G program will dramatically enhance the Colombian economy, shortening traveling time between cities and, consequently, reducing transportation costs.
read articleFocus: Coffee
Morning Joe
Colombian coffee has an incredible reputation for its aroma, taste, and purity, which is why it is considered one of the best quality coffees in the world. This belief has not changed despite the entrance of huge producing countries such as Ethiopia, Brazil, and Vietnam into the market.
read articleReview: Education
Gold Star For You
In recent decades, Colombia made changes to nearly every level and aspect of its education system and has been exceeding the expected results, putting the country on the right track to achieve the president's goal of becoming the best educated country in the region.
read articleReview: Tourism
It's Not Magic
A reputation for violence had for many years stunted the growth of Colombia's tourism sector. But now that the country has enormously improved its image abroad, there is little to prevent it from becoming one of the most ideal destinations in Latin America.
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