Newsletter 45 – Businesspeople from Brazil discovered Valle del Cauca’s potential as exporting platform


, Invest Pacific

Newsletter 45 – Businesspeople from Brazil discovered Valle del Cauca’s potential as exporting platform

  • Having the main maritime port of the Colombian Pacific, the best road infrastructure, and a competitive cost structure, make Valle del Cauca a strategic destination for Brazilian companies from industries like electric equipment, packaging, construction materials, and cosmetics.

  • Today, more than 200 multinational companies with foreign capital are operating in Valle del Cauca, bringing in more than 40% of the region’s exports, and 20% of the local GDP. Many of them are Brazilian companies that have provided more than 500 formal jobs in the region.
  • Colombia and Brazil complement each other greatly in the Latin American market, as the easy access to the Pacific ocean, and the free trade agreements with American countries make great powers out of both countries for international trading. Therefore, the Investment Promotion Agency -Invest Pacific- achieved a mission in Brazil from the 3rd to the 7th of October this year, intended to show the competitive advantages of Colombia and Valle del Cauca.

    This mission was led by Invest Pacific in a synergy with Valle del Cauca’s Governor’s Office, through the Department of Economic Development and Competitiveness, in partnership with ProColombia. It aimed to connect companies of electric equipment, packaging, construction materials, and cosmetics, with the opportunities our region offers to expand their operations here. All of this considering that Brazil features a solid industry and a very consolidated business network both local and international, that allows it to expand its operational borders and globalization processes.

    “One of the greatest attractions of Valle del Cauca for the manufacturing sector is the great cost-efficiency for the companies’ logistic operations. This Department features the main maritime port of the Colombian Pacific, and the best road infrastructure in the country. Plus, the cost structure in terms of power and utilities is highly competitive”, said the manufacturing sector manager of Invest Pacific, Mauricio Concha.

    Brazilian companies’ operations in Valle del Cauca aren’t new. According to Invest Pacific figures, Brazil has invested USD$151 million of US Dollars in the region through 16 projects, between investments and re-investments, that generate 507 employments. Brazilian companies such as Nadir, Bold, Ortobras, Dynatech and Gerdau are success cases on foreign investment in Valle del Cauca.

    “Along with the Department of Economic Development and Competitiveness of Valle del Cauca’s Governor’s Office, we’ve been working in partnership with Invest Pacific on consolidating strategic markets, to connect more businesspeople from overseas with the great opportunities our region has to offer to expand their operations here, through new investments that generate social and economic development for the whole Department”, emphasized Pedro Andres Bravo, secretary of Economic Development and Competitiveness at the Governor’s Office of Valle del Cauca.

    Throughout the present year, Invest Pacific has conducted other missions in Israel, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, and Peru to convey the advantages of investing in manufacturing, agribusiness, logistics, food products, and services. All companies seeking to settle in this region of the Colombian Pacific, are provided free of cost assistance.

    Important data about Valle del Cauca

  • Valle del Cauca is the development node in the Southwest of Colombia, providing great competitive advantages in its economic structure, competitive costs, infrastructure, and connectivity. It is a multimodal region in Colombia featuring two-way highways, an international airport, and the Buenaventura Maritime Port.

  • It is the most cost-efficient region to assist the domestic and international markets. Hosting the biggest port area in the country, that moves 43% of container cargo, having direct connection with 360 ports, and indirect connection with 920 ports around the world. Imports and Exports can be made from and to the Buenaventura Maritime Port with countries in the Americas, Europe, and Asia.

  • The Buenaventura Maritime Port is the closest to the country’s capital city, the most cost-efficient to assist 65% of the internal market, featuring five terminals, one of which is European and a second one of Asian investment. This enables easy access to markets within the Pacific Basin, 13 American countries, 17 Asian, and 19 from the South Pacific.

  • It’s been home to big companies that came from various corners of the world, for more than eight decades. Today, more than 200 foreign capital companies are operating within, bringing in more than 40% of the region’s exports, and 20% the local GDP.

  • It has the country’s most diverse export basket. Its economic structure is broad and diverse, and comprises several industries with a high level of clustering. Moreover, it brings 12% of non-mining/energy commodities sold by Colombia to overseas countries.