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Chamber of the Americas Launches New Business Development Magazine

Lakewood, Colorado - The Chamber of the Americas and its partner in Peru, COTA PERU, are pleased to announce the launch of "Comercio De Las Americas" ("Trade of the Americas"), a new trade magazine aimed at supporting business development in the U.S. and Latin America. Distributed in the U.S. and Peru to a broad range of stakeholders, including top government officials and private sector CEOs, the glossy, bilingual magazine offers an exciting insight into business and investment opportunities in these two markets.



Inside you will find updates on the activities of COTA (Colorado) and COTA Peru and its members, as well as the information your company needs to make smart commercial decisions and stay one step ahead of the competition. The first edition was published on October 18, 2011.

President of COTA, Gil Cisneros, said: "We have launched 'Comercio de Las Americas' to keep our membership and others informed of our activities, and that of our members, and to create yet another platform for businesses to benefit from the professional network that COTA provides. We look forward to 'Comercio de Las Americas' becoming indispensable reading for those interested in trade and investment within the U.S. and Latin America."

Among those in the private sector who will be on the distribution list for "Comercio De Las Americas" are CEOs, directors, general managers, line managers and senior officials of the companies associated with COTA in Peru and the United States. In the public sector, central government authorities, regional and local government officials, legislators and regulators, as well as ambassadors, commercial attachés, cultural attachés and press officers of the diplomatic corps accredited in Peru will receive a copy of the publication.

The Chamber of the Americas is offering those interested the chance to take advantage of this unique opportunity to gain exposure and recognition in new markets, and amongst the people who count, through advertising in the 'Comercio de Las Americas,' or by contributing to its editorial content. COTA is looking for members who would like to contribute articles for publication in the magazine on topics ranging from business and economics to politics, law or science and technology, which may be of interest to the business community in the U.S. and Latin America.

Call 303-462-1275 (U.S.) now, if you would like your voice or company advertisement to be seen throughout the Americas!

KUDOS TO COTA!
On 10-19-11 Trade Mission to Peru

Thank you for the most precisioned and productive business-client alliance I have ever attended. I came to Peru based upon the belief that this would be different than other conferences I've attended, both in the USA and internationally.

It truly was! You and your team brought "realistic opportunities" to the table as well as capable end users that are poised to engage. I am pleased beyond words and look forward to our immediate and future dealings!

I look favorably to meeting with you and Edgar in Denver next week to discuss our future relationship and how, together, we may make the difference in Peru and Latin America.

Very Respectfully,

Danny Duran
Latin America-International Advisor
FOP Development Group
VFH Turbine
303.356.8059

Chamber of the Americas'
New Office in Lima, Peru - "Commerce of the Americas"

The COTA Team in Lima, Peru,
is waiting to serve you.


COMMERCE OF THE AMERICAS
Miguel Angel Tataje Alponte
Director Comercial - Regional
255 Monte Rosa, piso 4 Chacarilla
Santiago de Surco, Lima PERU
Direct U.S. Tel (303) 732-3576
Tel: (511) 625-9742
Fax: (511) 638-1929
mtataje@commerceoftheamericas.com
www.commerceoftheamericas.com

Chamber/Americas is Seeking your Assistance without you Spending a Cent!

The Chamber of the Americas is now participating in Continental Airlines' Reward One Program. It works by helping Chamber of the Americas earn mileage for our business trips.

For example, if you fly anywhere with Continental Airlines, they would automatically give the Chamber/Americas points. You will NOT forfeit any of your personal miles! Chamber/Americas will earn 10% of one point for every $100.00 you spend on airfare with Continental. We earn one ticket for every 14 points.

All we need is your one pass number. If you are not a "one pass" member, simply go to www.continental.com and enroll; then send your "one pass" number to:
Gilberto (Gil) Cisneros
President/CEO
Chamber of the Americas
720 Kipling, Suite 13
Denver, Colorado, 80215 USA
Tel: 303.462.1275
Fax: 303.462.1560
Cel: 720.309.7686
gil@chamberoftheamericas.com www.chamberoftheamericas.com

Question? Just call us.

Business Opportunities in Peru

Peru has many products available for resale, including:

Agriculture/ Food Produce:

• Industrial Egg Powder products
• High Quality Peruvian Pisco

Construction and Furniture:

• Wholesale Wooden Doors
• Garage Doors
• Home Furniture

Clothing & Apparel:

• Leather and Synthetic Handbags and Wallets

Also, please feel free to circulate to companies that may have an interest in these opportunities. For inquiries regarding supplies for production or re-sale, to reduce operating costs or improve margins, contact us.

Milo J. Blanco
Commercial Representative
Commerce of The Americas
mblanco@commerceoftheamericas.com 303-472-1399

Australian Chamber Signs Agreement with Indonesian Counterpart

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) last week signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) in Jakarta to open the way for closer economic cooperation. Read more...

MORE NEWS

Our Team

	Laura Sonderup Managing Director and Senior Strategist, Hispanidad
	Gilbert (Gil) Cisneros President and CEO of the Chamber of the Americas
George Heinrich	Chairman Emeritus

• The Rest of Team

While literally thousands of books are written every year on the topic of marketing, few books are written on the subject of marketing to U.S. Hispanics. Even fewer are written in a way that provides the reader with a practical understanding of the distinctiveness of the Hispanic population in America.

In this perceptive book, Sonderup demonstrates her deep understanding of solid marketing principles combined with a career's worth of cultural and consumer observations. Many of the insights found in these pages may seem obvious, even simple. But that's exactly the challenge for the marketing professional: you have to think things through on the most basic of levels or you will overlook something; you will make a mistake. After reading this guide, you'll have a much better understanding of what this diverse consumer segment is all about. You'll also understand the urgency of beginning to build momentum immediately, so that you - and your company - don't get left behind.

Laura Sonderup is the Managing Director at Heinrich Marketing, Inc., a full-service advertising agency headquartered in Denver, Colorado. Laura's division, Hispanidad, focuses on helping companies communicate with Hispanic consumers via culturally relevant marketing, advertising and messaging.

Laura is a recognized ethnic marketing expert and is frequently featured as a speaker at national and international conferences. Her writings on the subject have been featured in a wide variety of publications, including USA Today, US Industry Today, IFA Franchising World, ColoradoBiz, Advertising & Marketing Review and DirectLine.

To purchase this book, please visit www.amazon.com.

"Raul Castro and the New Cuba"
by Harlan Abrahams and
Arturo Lopez-Levy (COTA Member)

ISBN 978-0-7864-6527-9
Ebook ISBN 978-0-7864-8890-2 2011

In 2006, Fidel Castro yielded power over Cuba to his younger brother Raúl, making him the first new president of the island nation in nearly five decades. Since then, Raúl has ushered in many changes and reforms, including allowing open criticism of the government, lifting the ban on personal electronics like cell phones and computers, and allowing farmers to purchase their own equipment.

This timely work weaves together expert analysis with narrative accounts from current Cuban citizens to explore the economic, political, legal, and social changes occurring in Cuba under Raúl Castro's presidency. Among the issues discussed are how Cubans are facing the challenges of an economy emerging from socialism into a market-driven reality, how long the one-party system can endure, and what the future may hold. By tracking Cuba's ongoing emergence from decades of communism, this current work stands at the forefront of Latin American and Caribbean studies.

Harlan Abrahams, a Denver-based writer, lawyer, and former law professor has published many scholarly articles and written several novels, one of which has been optioned for a movie to be shot on location in Havana. He has traveled to Cuba many times since 1998. Arturo Lopez-Levy, a native of Cuba, is a lecturer and Ph.D Candidate at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver. He is also a research associate of the Institute for the Study of Israel in the Middle East and teaches Latin American politics and comparative politics at the University of Denver and the Colorado School of Mines. In Cuba, Lopez-Levy worked as Secretary of the B'nai B'rith Lodge of the Cuban Jewish Community and a political analyst for the Cuban government.

To purchase this book, please visit www.mcfarlandpub.com
In Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, order from www.eurospangroup.com
In Australia and New Zealand, order from www.dadirect.com
In India, order fromwww.vivagroupindia.net

Stock Market Finance

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Chairperson for Chamber of the Americas Laura Sonderup, President Pepe Lobo of Honduras, and Gil Cisneros, CEO, Chamber of the Americas, at the November 8th Americas Forum in Denver, Colorado. (See story below.)

Chamber of the Americas
Gives Honduras a Boost

by Dr. David Conde, La Voz

Gil Cisneros has worked tirelessly for decades for the inclusion of Latin America in the U.S. priorities for trade and investment. My first experiences with his efforts involved Gov. Owens' trade missions to Mexico in 1999 and 2000.

At that time, Cisneros was the Executive Director of the U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce. Since then, he has moved over to direct the Chamber of the Americas, which provides a wider field for his work.

A constant stream of executive breakfasts and conferences held by the Chamber has put a variety of opportunities on the table for U.S. companies and individuals wanting to do business in Mexico, Central and South America. Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Columbia, Venezuela, Guatemala and Mexico among others are brought together with our buyers and sellers to begin the trading and investment process and help prosperity win out.

That was the case on Monday, November 8, when the Chamber of the Americas in partnership with Metropolitan State College of Denver and others including Mayor of Denver and Govenor-elect John Hickenlooper hosted a Honduran delegation that came to town to find partners for its growing economy. This time around however, the delegation was led by Porfirio José (Pepe) Lobo López, president of the country.

Honduras is one of the major bastions of the Mayan civilization that flourished between 400 and 900 A.D. Its ancient city Copán located on its eastern border together with Tikal in Guatemala and Palenque in southern Mexico, are considered the most important examples of the Classic Maya.

Since its independence, Honduras has suffered the battering of a region that stands between two continents. For example, the United States established a military presence in the 1980s to support "the Contra guerrillas fighting the Nicaraguan government."

Also, hurricanes have dealt devastating blows to the Honduran economy and infrastructure. Among them is Hurricane Fifi in 1974 that destroyed much in the northern coast and Mitch that in 1998, claimed 70 percent of the crops and 80 percent of the country's infrastructure.

The latest significant mishap that Honduras has had to overcome is the President Manuel Zelaya episode. Zelaya won the 2005 presidential election over now President Lobo.

He served most of his term, but was not allowed to finish because in 2009 he wanted to hold a national referendum seeking public approval for a constitutional convention that would include changes in term limits to allow him to run again. Zelaya insisted on the referendum even after the country's Supreme Court declared it illegal.

The result was a constitutional crisis that saw Zelaya arrested and exiled to Costa Rica. Roberto Micheletti, "the former President of the Honduran Congress and a member of the same party as Zelaya, was sworn in as president by the National Congress," to finish the term.

Lobo was elected president in fall 2009 and assumed office in January 2010. His message of freedom and reconciliation resonated with the public.

His presentation to the Denver audience was frank and sincere. The democratic process, which has been in place since civilian rule and established in 1979, is working and the country is open for business opportunities and investment.

The appearance of President Lobo in Denver and his presentation to the community says a lot about Honduran optimism and interest in making things better for a country that has seen so much. Also, Cisneros and his colleagues have done well and gone far in making that presentation a reality.

Upcoming Programs

		COTA Trade Mission to San Juan, Puerto Rico
		"The Obama Admin and International Trade"
		Jose Miguel Insulza Secretary General Organization of American States

THE CARIBBEAN: Trade and
Investment Opportunities
(Part I)

The Caribbean is a region located in close geographical proximity to the U.S., with many shared historical and cultural ties. Fifteen Caribbean countries are currently joined together as part of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) union, while there are five associate member countries.

U.S. Commerce Department Senior Adviser and Chief of Staff, Rick Wade, recently remarked (following a departmental Trade Mission to Jamaica and the Dominican Republic) that due to its "close proximity and a favorable trading relationship over time" the Caribbean is "a natural area for U.S. firms to explore new export opportunities that will result in more jobs for American workers." He added that in today's global marketplace, "It is critical for companies to establish alliances with partners in other markets in order to be competitive."

The Chamber of the Americas supports this sentiment and presents to you this report summarizing key points of interest for those who would like to find out more about going into these markets. We hope this information will be of use to you, and if you have inquiries on any specific point, please e-mail Gil@chamberoftheamericas or alisondlowe@gmail.com.

How Puerto Rico Kicked
its Deficit to the Curb

by P.J. Dinner

Background:
Puerto Rico is an island situated between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic. It is a self-governing commonwealth in association with the United States. The chief of state is the President of the U.S.; the head of government is an elected governor (Luis Fortuño since 1-2-09). There are two legislative chambers: the House of Representatives, 51 seats, and the Senate,
27 seats.

Puerto Rico's success in beating back a $2-billion deficit and clearing the path to solvency was the story that Jose R. Perez-Riera related at the Chamber of the Americas (COTA) Executive Forum luncheon on March 23rd, according to Gil Cisneros, COTA president/CEO. Perez-Riera is secretary of Puerto Rico's Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DEDC). (Click here to download a copy of the presentation.)

Puerto Rico's economy has historically moved in sync with the U.S. economy, lagging behind the U.S. but satisfactory nevertheless. In 2007 that changed. "That's when we saw a divergence between these two economies that created the greatest schism we had ever seen," said Perez-Riera, who oversees 10 government agencies and public corporations with over 1,300 employees and an FY2011 consolidated budget of US$377 million. "Puerto Rico's economy in 2007-2008 contracted at a negative rate of 2.5 percent whereas the U.S. economy grew at a rate of 2.4 percent."

Major adjustments were in order.

When Luis Fortuño was elected governor Nov. 2008, it was with the largest margin that any governor has ever received, according to Perez-Riera. Even before he was sworn in, Fortuño and his team started to draw up a plan in response to the people's mandate: Reverse the downward trend of the last eight years and put us on the path to economic growth. The resultant plan — the Strategic Model for a New Economy — is "the most comprehensive economic development model that Puerto Rico has seen in decades and perhaps ever."

The broad and very specific plan called for restoring economic growth with a short-term federal stimulus and long-term growth measures designed to integrate Puerto Rico into the global arena and accelerate a knowledge-based and innovation-driven economy.

"Puerto Rico's economy has made a series of transitions over the decades, from agrarian society to industrialized economy to specializing in pharmaceutical manufacturing, medical devices and electronics," said Perez-Riera. The services sector, which includes tourism, is an important piece of the economy which generates a GDP of $96 billion.

"The biggest component of our GDP is manufacturing followed by the financial, insurance and real estate sectors. It's a fairly diversified economy and we're trying to diversify it more, particularly into areas that have great potential for growth such as tourism," said Perez-Riera. Because manufacturing has fueled Puerto Rico's growth over the years, the tourism sector has not gotten the attention it deserves, he said. "But we don't need to concentrate exclusively on those areas that we do very well at; we should do well at all of them and focus on all of them. That's the way you grow the GDP and that's the approach our administration has taken."

The Strategic Model

At the time the new administration took office, Puerto Rico had a junk bond credit rating, making it difficult to borrow and fund growth. So improving this rating was high among the goals of the Strategic Model, as was tax reform.

"About a month ago the legislature approved the largest tax reform in the history of the island," said Perez-Riera:
• $1.2 billion a year in tax relief for individuals with a reduction in the tax rate of 25 percent on average. There will be further reductions over the next six years.
• A reduction of the maximum corporate tax rate from 41 percent to 30 percent. Tax brackets have been streamlined from five to three: 20, 25 and 30 percent.

"The brackets are much broader than previously so it takes higher earnings before that maximum 30 percent is reached. Ultimately the effective tax rate on the corporate level will be about 26 percent; however, by the year 2014 those three tax brackets will be reduced to two: 20 and 25 percent."

In addition to reforming various government systems, the strategic model also called for targeted incentives and strategic initiatives aimed at promoting business expansion from within and attracting new business from abroad.

Perez-Riera is confident that this multi-pronged approach is working to shore up the economy. "It's clear that the economy has turned around," he said, producing figures that showed gains in every sector, including private sector employment, tourism, housing and exports. "After two very difficult years we find ourselves in a very good position."

But what about that $2-billion budget deficit?

Budget Cuts

Working under a mandate to reduce the budget deficit by $2 billion within a two-year period, the administration made decisions that required sacrifices across the board. The government payroll had to be reduced by 12,000 employees. To achieve this, workers were offered incentives to transition to the private sector. And for private sector businesses that hired a transitioning public employee, the government paid half the salary of that hire for one year.

"Making such huge cuts was not something any of us wanted to do," said Perez-Riera. "But if you want to achieve your goals you have to do the things that have to be done instead of trying to cover up the problem as Puerto Rico did for eight years."

Other surgical attacks on the budget included a 20-percent reduction of expenditures in the executive branch. "Salaries were cut, and the governor himself took a cut," said Perez-Riera. Also, the number of political appointments was cut by 30 percent.

He acknowledges "the deficit-cutting process has been very difficult for the people of Puerto Rico. But the things that we've done have been done in a fair fashion, in a compassionate way, and we're now on the other side of that equation." A modest upswing landed the economy in neutral territory in 2010, and "for 2011 the expectation is that we'll see growth for the first time since 2006."

Said Gil Cisneros: "Secretary Perez-Riera did not suggest that the States use the island's achievements as a template for solving their own budgetary crises, but many in the audience thought it would be a step in the right direction."

 

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