The president of the Argentine Development Bank BICE, Michael’s Marianand the ambassador of China in Argentina, Zou Xiaoli, headed this Thursday a meeting in which the bilateral relationship between the two countries and the “challenge of progressively reducing the deficit in the trade balance” were addressed.
Xiaoli highlighted the bond of “friendship and brotherhood” that has existed between the two countries for 50 years and the “huge opportunities and broad prospects” that unite them for the future.
Regarding the trade relationship, he pointed out that China is Argentina’s second largest trading partner and the first source of imports, and highlighted: “The volume of bilateral trade reached almost USD 12,000 million in 2018 and in 2022 it climbed to USD 21,000 million, surpassing the record of USD 20,000 million.”
“I am confident that China and Argentina will develop more cooperation to expand trade to other sectors, especially in projects such as lithium, renewable energy, cars, petrochemicals, and scientific and technological innovation,” he said.
And he completed: “We hope to continue strengthening relations so that Argentina continues to improve its added value and the competitiveness of its products and we can gradually solve the deficit in the trade balance.”
Regarding the commercial link with the Asian country, the Secretary of Industry and Productive Development, Jose Ignacio de Mendigurenassured: “The world needs energy, minerals and food that Argentina has in abundance. What we must seek, and which is part of Sergio Massa’s agenda on this trip, is to balance the trade balance of what we exchange based on goods with higher added value.
“This is the common and mutually beneficial agenda in which we are working based on investments in strategic sectors, because we know that improving that equation is what will lead us to development,” said De Mendiguren.
For his part, De Miguel carried out an analysis of the participation of the Asian country in the world GDP per capita and highlighted: “China is today a preponderant actor at a global level, which is why the bilateral relationship must be growing and intense, as confirmed by the visit of the Minister of Economy at this time in the country.
And expanded: “BICE’s job will be to support Argentine companies with financing so that they invest and become more technical with the aim of definitively changing our productive matrix, and selling products with greater added value to China and the world. Modifying that point is what will allow us to take a leap in development.”
In turn, Pitiot expressed the importance of the seminar organized with the aim of deepening the bond and cooperation between the countries that is not only commercial, but also cultural.
“Minister Massa’s trip is one of the examples of Argentina’s strategy to diversify trade with China and boost its exports to that country. We must take advantage of the enormous competitive advantages that the agricultural, mining, tourism and energy sectors open up for us, among others, ”he launched.
The seminar featured 5 panels in which business protocols and business opportunities with China were analyzed; the tools of the Argentine Agency for Investment and International Trade (AAICI) to do business in China; and BICE’s financial tools. AND
Among those present were the directors of BICE and the BICE Foundation, María de los Angeles Sacnun and Julián Maggio; Ernesto Fernández Taboada, executive director of the Chinese Argentine Council; Gustavo Colombo, from the AAICI; and Laura Tuero, national director of Export Promotion.
Source: Ambito
