Authorities and business leaders open the EU-Latin America International Business Meeting

The report was presented: “Global Latam: foreign direct investment series,” which for the first time includes the First Global Latam Barometer, prepared by SEGIB and ICEX in collaboration with CEIB.

On the first day, international experts discussed new financing and investment models for sustainable business development.

The Deputy Secretary General of SEGIB, Marcos Pinta Gama; the Vice-President of the CEOE and President of CEPYME, Gerardo Cuerva; the Vice-President of the Board of Directors of UNITAR and Executive Director of the Private Sector Regional Centre in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Diana Chávez; and the President of the Compañía Española de Seguros de Crédito a la Exportación-CESCE, Fernando Salazar, yesterday opened the International Europe-Latin America Business Meeting, in the context of the second edition of Madrid Platform at the Palacio de Cibeles.

After the opening of the event on this first day, international experts such as the President of the Lafise Financial Group and the President of the Latin American Business Council-CEAL, Roberto Zamora; the Director of the Europe Office of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration-BCIE, Mauricio Chacón; the CEO of Arpa and President of the Spanish Global Compact Network, Clara Arpa; the CEO of Enel Americas, Maurizio Bezzeccheri; and the Director of the State Account Area at CESCE, Beatriz Reguero, addressed the new financing and investment models for sustainable business development, on a panel moderated by the Director General of Expansion and Development of Europa Press, Candelas Martín de Cabieres. 

The experts at this roundtable assessed, among other issues, the importance of the private sector and the application of ESG factors in their business models to promote triple-impact companies; thematic bonds by way of new essential development instruments to finance innovation; the significance of the financial banking sector in the new sustainable development paradigm; and the role of multilateral financing organisations in a new scenario of investment for recovery.

To close this session, the Permanent Secretary of CEIB, Narciso Casado, the Head of Economy and Business at SEGIB, Pablo Adrián Hardy, and the Head of Latam Desk at ICEX, Adrián Blanco, presented the report: “Global Latam: foreign direct investment series,” which includes in this edition the first Global Latam Barometer.

Challenges and opportunities in Latin America

The Deputy Secretary General of SEGIB, Marcos Pinta Gama, set out an overview of the current context in Latin America during the opening of the forum. Thus, he reported that the region grew by around 7.5% in 2021 and is expected to grow by about 2.2% in 2022. The problem, he explained, is that inter-regional trade is 16.8% and is still very low compared to other regions such as Asia and Europe, where it stands at 60-70% In this respect, he said that it is necessary to “create a favourable environment for companies to feel comfortable and confident to continue to invest in the region, which requires strengthening the legal and regulatory frameworks conducive to the internationalisation of companies and the promotion of digitalisation, among other measures.” 

Europe, he said, will have to strengthen its ties with reliable partners for the future, and Latin America is certainly among them. He also highlighted new opportunities in the field of digital infrastructure, talent, start-up development, venture corporate, impact investment, knowledge-based services, and services based on natural resources, such as green hydrogen. Ibero-America is a big family, in which proximity prevails, and which must take advantage of benefits such as nearshoring to be more competitive on the international stage, Pinta Gama stressed.

In his speech, the Vice-President of the CEOE and President of CEPYME, Gerardo Cuerva, highlighted the importance of trade agreements between regions, to establish an institutional and regulatory framework that will offer greater security and predictability in our economic relations, especially in the current context. In this respect, he stressed, the ratification of the EU-Mercosur Agreement is urgently needed; it is an advanced agreement that not only would remove tariffs, but also includes important provisions in the areas of investment, services, public procurement, intellectual property, regulatory cooperation and sustainability. 

Cuerva also stressed the central role of the private sector in developing their societies, and invited the participants to follow the CEIB Presidents of Business Organisations’ meeting on Wednesday 25 May, which will follow up on the major issues and areas of action that we are undertaking in the region, both bilaterally and regionally, in the period between Ibero-American Heads of State and Government Summits.

Sustainability: a bet on the future

Diana Chávez, the Vice-President of UNITAR’s Board of Directors and Executive Director of the Regional Private Sector Centre supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals-CR/SP, said that corporate governance and the SDGs are fundamental to ensuring there is an inclusive and practical scenario that responds to the current context and serves as a roadmap to leave no one behind. “Understanding the SDGs contributes to understanding and managing the environment, bearing in mind that the 2030 Agenda is a global issue with a local application; and, secondly, because the SDGs are part of the social licence that organisations must have and companies must adapt, anticipate and position themselves as true corporate citizens,” said Chávez.

2022 will continue to be a challenging year, especially for consolidating business sustainability as a strategic task. Therefore, according to the Director of the CR/SP, it is essential to promote capacity-building programmes that include the public, private and civil society sectors to reach a consensus and close gaps in access to and application of knowledge; to enhance corporate governance and boost the sustainability agenda on company boards; to foster international cooperation, since the major problems are transnational; and to implement sustainability strategies that generate value and bring benefits to society. “These are some areas of action that have demonstrated the viability of achieving resilient communities and sustainable development in their daily environment,” he said.

The President of the Compañía Española de Seguros de Crédito a la Exportación-CESCE, Fernando Salazar, said that much CESCE’s work consists of assisting companies in difficult times. “Latin America is a priority for Spain; we share a language, culture, business and there is great mutual warmth and affection,” he said. In fact, Salazar reported that, last year, Spanish exports to Latin America were worth 14.5 billion euros, a 26% rise, while imports increased by 30%.

“We are major investors in the region and our companies contribute to creating jobs, generating wealth and they help with major social projects,” said Salazar, who added that the top investment destination is Mexico, at 45 billion euros, followed by Brazil, with 40 billion. In total, 156 billion euros was invested in the region. Our closeness to Latin America is not so much a dream as a reality, thanks to our excellent trade and business relations, he stressed. “We must have a long-term vision, which is why CESCE offers numerous business insurance policies for exports, both on behalf of the State and on its own account. In 2021, we provided to coverage to more than 13,500 operations,” he said.

Report: “Global Latam: foreign direct investment series”

The Permanent Secretary of CEIB, Narciso Casado, opened the presentation panel of the report “Global Latam: foreign direct investment series”; the head of Economy and Business of SEGIB, Pablo Adrián Hardy, and the Head of Latam Desk of ICEX, Adrián Blanco, also took part. This report, prepared by the three institutions, includes in its fourth edition the First Global Latam Barometer.

The representatives of SEGIB, Pablo Adrián Hardy and of ICEX, Adrián Blanco, said that the volume of Latin American investment in Spain recovered in 2021, after the fall due to the pandemic. In this regard, they stated an investment of 1.044 billion euros was recorded, which represents an increase over the previous year’s figure, which was 1.000 billion euros. Moreover, in terms of greenfield projects received from the region, the highest number in the historical series was achieved. Spain has thus consolidated its position as the world’s second-largest destination for Latin American investment outside the region, trailing only the United States, and is the first gateway for Latin American capital into the European market. These are among the main data collected in this new edition of the report, as highlighted by those responsible for preparing it.

First Latam Global Barometer

The Permanent Secretary of CEIB, Narciso Casado, pointed out that the Barometer assesses the current perception of the Latin American economy by companies in the region, 79.2% of which have a neutral or negative view. Among other aspects, they were also asked about their international investment forecasts; 34% of the companies said that they plan to begin operations in 2022, while 28.8% expect to increase them. The main investment destinations would be Latin America itself (46.6%), the United States (26.9%) and Spain (9.8%). “Latin American companies have identified five main obstacles to their internationalisation: regulations in the target market, taxation in the country where the company is based, access to knowledge about international business opportunities, the image of the company’s home country and finding a suitable partner in the investment destination,” Casado said. 

Casado also highlighted some specific measures to boost the process of internationalising companies, such as planning subsidies for continuity in this process; increasing the degree of internationalisation, improving the sector’s foreign sales capacity, especially SMEs; and intensifying international cooperation and the exchange of up-to-date information across EU Member States. He also advocated giving further impetus to diversifying markets and sectors abroad; promoting the international mobility of workers to reactivate our companies’ international operations; speeding up customs and import procedures using digitalisation; and reaching agreements to avoid double taxation and agreements for the Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments (APPRIS). “Let’s all build a better future for our companies and our societies with hard work, talent and enthusiasm! This is the only way we’ll be able to expand our frontiers and go further,” Casado said.

Conversation between Presidents of CEIB Business Organisations

After the first day, two panels will be held today focusing on trends and challenges in Ibero-American intra-regional trade and on connectivity given the challenge of reconfiguring global value chains. 

Tomorrow, the 25th, there will be a discussion, in which will address, among other topics, the role of business organisations in the new situation of reconstruction and a sustainable recovery; the work of the business sector as a catalyst for change for economic growth; driving the digital transformation and industry 4.0, the reactivation of demand, the consolidation of SME policy, encouraging innovation, deepening regional integration, which are key factors for social welfare and continued growth; and public-private partnerships, as the most efficient way to progress and collaborate in devising and planning public policy, standards frameworks and regulations.

The Presidents of the CEOE (Spain), Antonio Garamendi; of CEIB and COPARDOM (Dominican Republic), William Matías Ramírez; of the CEA (Andorra), Gerard Cadena; of the UIA (Argentina), Daniel Funes de Rioja; of the CEPB (Bolivia), Luis Barbery Paz; of the CPC (Chile), Juan Sutil; of ANDI (Colombia), Bruce Mac Master; of the CIP (Ecuador), Pablo Zambrano; of CACIF (Guatemala), Hermann Girón; and of the Ibero-American Federation of Young Entrepreneurs-FIJE, Matías Fernández.

To close the conference, the Permanent Secretary of CEIB, Narciso Casado, the head of the Economy and Business at SEGIB, Pablo Adrián Hardy, and the Secretary General of FIJE, Antonio Magraner, will outline the main conclusions of the Europe-Latin America International Business Meeting, which aims to offer a space for strengthening economic and trade relations between the two regions.