The
Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur) on Thursday reported that 1,784 Peruvian micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) export their products to member countries of the
Pacific Alliance (Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru).
"Peruvian exports to the Pacific Alliance grew 13% in 12 years of the regional bloc's existence, going from US$3.445 billion in 2011 to US$3.894 billion in 2022," said Jose Luis Castillo, Director General for International Trade Negotiations at Mincetur.
"The number of enterprises involved in these sales is 3,149, which have traded 3,403 products from Peru to the Pacific Alliance. 56% out of the total productive units are MSMEs," he added.
Castillo underscored that the Pacific Alliance constitutes an area of integration that seeks to advance towards free movement of goods, services, capitals, and people, as well as to promote greater growth, development, and competitiveness of the bloc's economies.
"The Pacific Alliance draws the attention of economies around the world because it comprises a population of 233.6 million people, has a GDP per capita of US$9,207, and attracts 45% of the foreign direct investment entering Latin America and the Caribbean," he remarked.
"It also represents 42% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of Latin America and the Caribbean; it is the sixth largest exporter in the world; and its member countries are the most competitive economies in the region," the Mincetur official noted.
Integration
Castillo emphasized that the Pacific Alliance was conceived as an initiative of Peru, which invited Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, and Panama to form it, with the purpose of making such space an integration model for the region, consolidating a common economic platform, with projection to the world, specially the Asia-Pacific region.
Eventually, Mexico joined this group made up of Colombia, Chile, and Peru, while Panama and Ecuador were added as observer countries. Nowadays, the latter, along with Costa Rica, are in the process of accession into the bloc as full members.
"It is a process that is 12 years old since its emergence. The Pacific Alliance began to take shape in 2011 with the Declaration of Lima, and the first stage was intended to start working on the Macro Agreement, which shall govern trade relations among member countries," he stated.
Jose Luis Castillo participated in the 21st SMEs Expo: "Challenges and opportunities for SMEs within the framework of the Pacific Alliance," organized by the Lima Chamber of Commerce (CCL).
(END) CNA/RMB/MVB
Publicado: 6/7/2023