Executive Director’s Message

NAFTA Institute II:
We are in the home stretch of detail preparation and registration for the NAFTA Institute II International Trade Conference, which will be held on June 8 – 10, 2005 in Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico and in El Paso, Texas. The conference will take place on the campus of Monterrey Tech Institute-Juarez Campus on June 8 and 9. On June 10, the conference will conclude at the Camino Real Hotel in downtown El Paso, Texas. The International Business Accelerator, the World Trade Center of El Paso/Juarez and Monterrey Tech Institute have joined together to co-host this event, which will bring together experts from the U.S., Canada and Mexico to discuss a wide range of trade topics. More than 300 people from New Mexico, west Texas and northern Chihuahua are expected to attend this conference, which is specifically designed to provide small businesses with the tools required to conduct business in the NAFTA region.

Conference participants will listen to a variety of “how to” presentations on business topics such as:

  • “How to establish a business in each of the three NAFTA countries”
  • “Mechanics of trade and customs brokers’ procedures”
  • “Financial risks in international business”
  • “Trade financing”
  • “Immigration/visa requirements”
  • “Government trade support services”

Three companies from the region that have successfully entered the international market also will be presenting the steps they took to achieve success. Each expert presenting at the event will be available for one-on-one consultations immediately after his/her presentation with any interested conference participant.

This non-profit event is economically priced, with registration fees starting at $149. Special registration rates are being offered to qualified participants and students. Simultaneous English/Spanish translation will be provided at all times during the event. Twenty-one booths will be set up for companies/organizations that wish to distribute materials and provide one-on-one consulting with potential clients. Stands can be shared between two or more entities. To date, Carta Blanca, Nissan, the City of Juarez and the States of New Mexico and Chihuahua have all signed on as major sponsors. A slew of private companies have purchased booths, and will be displaying their products/services at this event.

Due to the support from organizations such as the City of Juarez, the State of Chihuahua, the State of New Mexico, the Silver City-Grant County Economic Development Corporation and the organizing entities, this promises to be the premier trade event of the year on the U.S.-Mexico border.

We invite you to either attend as a participant or as a sponsor buy purchasing a booth. Please make your clients, associates and constituents aware of this event.

Please contact me at (505) 589-2200 or email at jerry@nmiba.com for more information. The conference program can be viewed here.



Announcments:

The International Business Accelerator Signs Trade Agreement with the City of Albuquerque

The International Business Accelerator of the New Mexico Small Business Development Center Network (IBA) and the City of Albuquerque announce the signing of an agreement that will combine the efforts of both groups in their Mexican trade efforts. Under the agreement, the Office of Economic Development of City of Albuquerque (OED) will collaborate with the IBA and its staff in Santa Teresa, New Mexico and Chihuahua City, Chihuahua to help Albuquerque companies develop trade opportunities in Ciudad Juárez and municipalities in the northern region of the state of Chihuahua.

The partnership will focus on trade opportunities in key industrial sectors including engineering services, environmental technology/remediation consulting, commercial/industrial software, food processing/distribution, legal, accounting, architecture, and medical services, as well as suppliers to northern Mexico’s maquiladora industry. The IBA also will provide the OED’s clients with trade leads and qualified potential buyers of their products/services. According to Fred Mondragon, Director of Albuquerque’s OED, “This partnership brings together the strengths of both organizations in the spirit of maximizing the success of our clients in their Mexico efforts.”

Per the terms of the agreement the IBA and the OED agree to jointly plan and carry out business outreach and trade education seminars/workshops to the business community in Albuquerque and throughout the state of Chihuahua. Both organizations plan to organize and lead during the next 12 months at least two trade missions (one from Albuquerque to Chihuahua, and one from Chihuahua to Albuquerque), which will include business-to-business meetings to foster trade.

As partners in the agreement, both organizations will provide each other’s staff and clients with office space, free-of-charge, for meetings and presentations. Albuquerque-based companies will be able to utilize space in the IBA’s Santa Teresa and Chihuahua City offices. According to Jerry Pacheco, Executive Director of the IBA, “The City of Albuquerque is doing some great things to develop relations with Chihuahua City, which is its sister city. The IBA’s trade assistance program is being matched up with these efforts in a grass-roots fashion in order to score trade successes in Mexico for Albuquerque companies.”



Upcoming Events:

June 8 - 10 – The NAFTA II Institute



Latest Trade Leads:

  • Aluminum and iron home garden/patio accessories and decorative items.
    • Type: Vendor
    • Country: Mexico
    • Description: A manufacturer/wholesaler from Chihuahua City is interested in establishing distribution channels in the U.S. for the sale of aluminum and iron plant stands (custom designed) terra-cotta flower pots, Mexican hammocks, and other home and garden accessories. This client has a warehouse in El Paso, Texas for quick deliver lead times. Please visit the following website to view product samples: http://www.rusticshops.com.
    • International Terms of Sale: EXW seller's door and or CIP buyer's door

    For more information on the following trade leads please contact the IBA at (505) 589-2200 or email us at info@nmiba.com.