“You, with your participation, your ideas and proposals, open up the possibilities for other companies with similar products, and this is essential because we need to win markets and double exports, and there the Foreign Ministry plays a strategic role in helping and facilitating”, Cafiero pointed out.
The trade missions had the following stopovers: February 27 and 28 in the city of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh; March 1 and 2 in Mumbai, and March 3 and 4 in New Delhi, Republic of India. At the same time, on February 27 and 28, 2023the commercial mission of the food sector in Saudi Arabia.
Throughout 6 days, in Bangladesh and India, the companies held more than 500 business meetings, within the framework of the trade mission inaugurated by Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero in Dacca, Bangladesh, and coinciding with the reopening of the Argentine embassy in that country.
Argentine commercial outpost in a large strategic market
“The world is demanding what Argentina has the capacity to produce, what our country has a tradition of producing and Argentina also has a registered trademark to produce. Let’s walk this path together and support each other”sentenced the chancellor.
One of the businessmen present, Federico Emilianifrom Ecofactory, a manufacturer of ecological reusable bags, which sells in Argentina and exports to 12 Latin American countries, assured: “We participated in the mission with the idea of marketing our products in both Bangladesh and India. We know it’s not easy but we thought the opportunity was good. The results were very good, we see possibilities in three big supermarkets in Bangladesh and we are in contact with two in India”, he detailed.
Juan Fera, de Marolio, recounted that during the mission to Bangladesh and India “We achieved a number of contacts that without the support of the Foreign Ministry we could not have achieved. We have already been in contact to send samples. And we came here to reinforce this work, always maintaining the goal of being able to produce and export Argentine work.”.
Carlos Tonon, de Luna de los Andes, a company that produces regional products -mainly from NOA and Cuyo- such as gourmet olive oils, wines, spices, nuts and yerba mate, pointed out that “Bangladesh is a country with a Muslim majority and consumption habits are very different, which must be taken into account when offering our products. And particularly, it has the characteristic of fanaticism for Argentina, which helps us a lot and is where we have to highlight our Country Brand”. To that, he added: “ANDIt is the initial kick until we can enter these markets so distant and different from our culture”.
For his part, Laura Tobin, of Etosha, stated: “It was very important for us to travel to Saudi Arabia, because we got to know a new market that we didn’t expect to export to at the moment. We see that there is a country proposal for Argentine products to be in the world, and Saudi Arabia is a market that has enormous potential, and I believe that it is a strategic commercial partner for Argentina. We hope it will be the first of many missions”.
The meeting participated: Silvio Leguia, of Piporé (yerba mate); Melody Khalil and Nadima S. Khalilfrom The Halal Catering (Halal certified); William Trentalancefrom Vetanco (animal medicine); Federico Emiliani and Martin Jersonskyfrom Ecofactory (ecological bags); Ricardo Maciel, Nelson Dalcolmo and Maria Marta Oriafrom INYM (yerba mate); Matias Farioli, Suplefeed (grains and legumes); Mariano Bonaventura, of Alfajores Baltazar (alfajores and cookies); Carlos Tonon, Luna de los Andes (olive oil, wine, seeds); Peter Renzonefrom Ronalb SRL (grains and legumes); Juan Fera, from Marolio SA (food); and Gonzalo Lamas and Sebastian Perez Escobar, of the River Plate athletic club. All these firms were part of the Trade Mission to India and Bangladesh.
The representatives of the companies that made up the Trade Mission to Saudi Arabia were also present: Omar Kabbara, from Okword SAS (sheep meat); Gabriel Osatinsky, from Cadaf SA (animal feed, alfalfa and others); Ferdinand Moses, El Carancho refrigerator (meats); Juan Pablo Tosto Valenzuela, from Latam Agroservicios SA (vegetable proteins); Alexis Bustelo, from Conexa Foods SA (agricultural: legumes, seeds, peanuts, sunflowers; Lucas Anderson, de Grúas San Blas- Argenmieles (honey).
Lastly, there was also Laura Tobin, from ETOSHA (Meat analogues: hamburgers, chorizos, milanese and nuggets, and vegetable cheeses); Gabriela De La Torre and Pia Rodríguez Martorel, from Amándote (blends, infusions, yerba mate); Augustine Fonzo, from Rio Beef SA (meats); Mariana Fernandez, from Agrovalle Catamarca SA (agricultural: alfa); Alfredo Abboud, from Cadaf SA (animal feed: alfalfa and others); Ezequiel Garat, Karinat Distributor and agro (meat, dairy); Fernando Massalin, Mega Alfalfa (agricultural: alfalfa); Pablo Martinez, FECOAPI (Federation of Honey Producers Cooperatives); Alexis El Sayer; Islamic Center, Certification service (Halal certifier); Tomas Piran, Goat Export (sheep meat), and Aracelis Tarascio, of Refrigerator La Reduction(meats).
cafiero and ambassador of bangladesh in Brasilia.jpg
Argentina-Bangladesh trade in numbers
in 2022 bilateral trade with Bangladesh was US$765 million. Argentine exports reached US$742.9 million and imports from Bangladesh totaled US$22.1 million. It was registered in 2022 a trade surplus for Argentina of US$720.8 million.
With the IndiaMeanwhile, in 2022 a new record was reached in bilateral exchange, with US$6,394.6 million, increasing flows in both directions in continuation of an almost constant growth in recent years.
Regarding bilateral trade with Saudi Arabia, reached US$2,277 million in 2022. Argentine exports totaled US$1,184 million, while imports from Saudi Arabia represented US$1,093 million, yielding a trade surplus for Argentina of US$91 million.
Source: Ambito
