MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay presented in London as main gateway to Latin America

Ian Duddy, UK Ambassador to Uruguay said the Embassy in Montevideo can offer services in order to introduce Uruguay as a destination for British exports.

A trade mission was held in London from 14 to 18 May to promote Uruguay to UK exporters. The mission was organized by Uruguay XXI, the investment, export and country brand promotion agency, along with the British Embassy in Montevideo, the British-Uruguayan Chamber of Commerce with the support of the UK Department for International Trade.

 This visit comprised of several activities, including: business meetings; a promotional event of the country in Tower Bridge; participation in the Foreign Direct Investment Expo that provided access to potential investment companies.

During this mission, there was a country promotion event called ‘Why Uruguay? Latin America’s Finest Business Gateway’, which took place in the North Tower of Tower Bridge.

Ian Duddy, British Ambassador to Uruguay, was one of the guest speakers. He said: The British Embassy in Montevideo can offer now Department for International Trade services and is connected to the entire network, in order to introduce Uruguay as a destination for British exports.

Although Uruguay offers a small market, that can be used as an advantage for UK business, specially SMEs. Uruguay can be the pilot country for exporting and it can also be a platforms to increase exports to the region

Other speakers included: Silvana Lesca Barolin, of the Uruguayan Embassy in the United Kingdom; Ignacio Del, President of the British-Uruguayan Chamber of Commerce in Montevideo, and representatives of Uruguay XXI

The visit included the participation in the Foreign Direct Investment Expo, a fair that allows countries and cities to connect with major British firms seeking to establish their operations abroad.

Uruguay XXI had a stand that showed Uruguay as a strategic location to enter Latin American markets, while representatives of the agency made a presentation on the benefits of investing in Uruguay. This included information on regulations, tax incentives, highly qualified workers, the advanced ICT infrastructure in the region as well as its sustained political and economic stability.

They also explained how Uruguay has become the ideal destination for regional hubs, where companies centralize their commercial operations, information technology, administrative and logistics operations in the Americas.

Business meetings were also held to facilitate access to potential customers in several sectors including pharmaceutical, retail, machinery and agro-technology. This included representatives from: Irrazabal & Asociados; Ebizmarts; Jaume & Seré; BMS Latin America; Open Door Investments; International Corporate Creations; WTC Montevideo Free Zone Department for International Trade and Foreign and Commonwealth Office