Archive for 2009
New Impressions
Call it Latin America Inc. – the wide-scale rebranding of the continent. But will the new image of the region take root with the rest of the world?
Mexico’s Jet Set
Eager to shed its reputation as the bargain basement for American manufacturers, Mexico is staking its industrial ambitions on a loftier sector – jet planes. It has some high-flying help. The world’s No. 3 aircraft maker, Bombardier Aerospace, is about to break ground on its fourth plant in Querétaro, a bustling industrial hub 140 miles northwest of the Mexican capital.
A Thirst For Growth
The global beer giant SABMiller continues to toast its 2005 acquisition of Colombian brewer Grupo Empresarial Bavaria for providing a crucial foothold in the dynamic Latin American spirits market.
In Work We Trust – Best Workplaces in Latin America 2009
The global economic crisis has generated waves of cost cuts and layoffs that even the most solid blue chip companies in Latin America have been unable to avoid. The fundamental difference between the companies that have downsized and those that have managed to retain top talent and stave off the worst cuts by negotiating concessions from workers seems to come down to trust.
Personal Development Lands DHL At Top – Best Workplaces in Latin America 2009
If you think that work and fun don’t mix, you’d be surprised by the atmosphere at DHL Bolivia, the country’s leading courier and express mail service provider.
Christus Invests In Employees, Sees Returns – Best Workplaces in Latin America 2009
t Mauricio Zambrano, head of human resources for Monterrey-based Christus Muguerza Group, believes in having fun – even for those people who save lives for a living.
More Than Drinks and Spirits at Diageo – Best Workplaces in Latin America 2009
Diageo, whose operations span 180 countries and territories and has a broad scope of spirits, wine and beer brands, wins frequent accolades for its positive work environment.
Colombia’s Biggest Bank Meshes Diverse Corporate Cultures – Best Workplaces in Latin America 2009
So successful are BanColombia’s efforts to instill a unified corporate culture in its different units, that all but one of the group’s seven subsidiaries made the top 25 Great Places to Work in Colombia. All seven made the cut for the top 100 in Latin America.
Wine is Argentina’s Newest Tourist Attraction
MENDOZA, Argentina – The chance to sleep surrounded by vineyards and take part in winemaking activities is attracting more local and foreign visitors to Argentina’s Mendoza province.
Numerous hotels and inns have opened in the nation’s wine country catering to oenophiles. Latin Trade visited one, the Cavas Wine Lodge, which offers guests the opportunity to stay [...]
Indicators – Then and Now
Last year’s economic forecasts for 2009 were outdated – almost from the moment they were made. But as 2009 draws to a close, the question is by how much? A closer look at this year’s forecast, made in December 2008, and an estimate some eight months later in July show major discrepancies. Both sets of [...]
Waiting For Recovery
Latin American ports are ready and willing, but when will international trade pick up?
The Prospects For Trade Under the Obama Administration
There has been a drift in global trade policy and a bubbling up of protectionism. Such times call for a clear understanding of trade’s importance and a strong commitment to bolster the institutions of trade. Instead, the Obama administration has sought to avoid the topic.
Coping With More Balanced Trade: Asia vs. Latin America
The growing consensus is that U.S. trade needs to be brought toward balance. Yet, any policy that reduces the trade deficit will require America’s trading partners to adjust their own.
Workplace Issues Are Bottom Line Matters
As companies across the region knuckle down during the financial crisis, one survey shows that great places to work are still those that interject fun into the daily slog.
The 15th Annual Latin Trade Symposium & BRAVO Business Awards
Led by Mexican President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, winners of the 15th bravo Business Awards walked down the red carpet to the evening gala to receive their 2009 awards for excellence and achievement. More than 350 leading business executives, government officials, academics and environmental and humanitarian leaders attended the 15th bravo Business Awards dinner and ceremony at the Four Seasons Hotel in Miami on October 30.
LT Holiday Gift Guide
Extravagant and not-so-extravagant gifts for your loved ones: from a BMW Z4 to a simple bottle of her perfume to a five-figure all-electric motorcycle.
Murder, Headlines and Statistics
Even as these reports of killings lead the news in a number of countries, governments fight back with their own statistics.
A Glacier With a View
From your computer, you can watch a YouTube clip of giant glaciers breaking into the waters of Patagonian lakes. Or, as the cognoscenti know, the town of El Calafate, perched on the edge of Argentina’s region of majestic glaciers, is the headquarters for exploration, observation and relaxation.
The World On Your Shoulder
When you’re preparing for a trip, sometimes the question of what gear to pack is less important than what bag you use to hold your gear. In our on-display modern world, bags reflect your personality as much as they need to protect your personal belongings. And finding the right carry-on – size, shape and style – can be a daunting task. So Latin Trade went in search of two bags that fit the bill.
A Phone For All Seasons
There is the good and the bad to be found in Nokia’s E75, the latest of the company’s enterprise smartphones.
The Answers – Paulo Coelho
Theater director, actor, song writer and journalist Paulo Coelho is not only the best-selling Brazilian writer, but his novel “The Alchemist” was a 20th century literary phenomenon. Coelho, who was born and lives in Rio de Janeiro, has sold 100 million copies of his books worldwide.
Outlook 2010: Consensus Economic Forecast
Five years of stellar growth came to a crashing halt late last year as the global economic recession took hold. A year later, governments around the world have instituted economic stimulus packages that seem to have stemmed the worst effects of the crisis and have set the stage for a recovery in 2010 – at [...]
Waiting for the U.S. To Grow
Many Mexicans cannot remember having lived through a recession like the current one.
Economists are forecasting Mexico’s economy will shrink by 7 percent this year, its worst economic setback in eight decades and one of the deepest contractions of any Latin American nation.
With Oil Prices on the Rise Venezuela Set to Rebound in 2010
Now the nascent financial recovery in industrialized nations appears set to pull Venezuela’s oil-dependent economy out of its slump, keeping it from becoming collateral damage in the global meltdown.
Pinning Hopes On a Bumper Crop
Argentine economists warn that the government’s restrictive economic policies, combined with a lack of access to international financial markets, will thwart any rapid return to the heated expansion of recent years.
Mining To Recovery
Strong gold exports offered Peru a needed lifeline during the global financial turmoil of the past year. Now, copper, silver, zinc and lead could help lead the economic recovery in the resource-rich nation.
From Bad To Worse?
Although the rest of Latin America and parts of the Caribbean are showing early signs of economic recovery, experts said there are few indications Central America is emerging from its worst economic crisis in the past quarter-century.
Caribbean Grapples with Downturn
The worldwide economic crisis has interrupted the Caribbean’s most robust rate of sustained economic growth since the 1960s. From Antigua to Trinidad & Tobago, nations are grappling with a slump in exports, a decline in tourism, rising fuel costs, higher unemployment and a drop in both foreign direct investment and remittances.
15th BRAVO Business Award Winners
This year marks the 15th award ceremony – a milestone in searching for and recognizing the deserving champions of trade, finance, technology and politics, as well as some of the lesser-known heroes in social fields in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Leader of the Year: Felipe Calderón Hinojosa – Chief Executive for a Changing Nation
Steeped in the traditions of Mexico’s conservative political forces, Felipe Calderón Hinojosa was a youthful stalwart of the National Action Party that his father Luis Calderón co-founded. The 47-year-old Calderón, who was born in Morelia, Michoacán, fought against the odds to reach the top.
