Opening the doors between Spain and the U.S.

I can't help but look at recent headlines and feel, with renewed conviction, that this is a time in which we all have to focus on unity and brotherhood.  In this same vein, I was honored to be asked to be a part of a group of entrepreneurs and members of the business community from the U.S. on a commercial mission to Valladolid, Spain, to narrow the business gap between the U.S. and the region of Castilla y León, helping to support and enable sustainable trade and commerce between our countries.

Spain, like many countries in the European Union, has been struggling with a sluggish economy and almost flat growth rates for some years now.  Given the complications and potential implications of Brexit on the economic landscape of the entire EU, Spain looks to international business ties to help revitalize trade and commerce, expand the business footprint of the local economies, and open new markets within established and emerging regions.  I was invited to join a panel of experts and leaders from companies and organizations that drive business development, like the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC), and participate in Castilla y León's summit, "The United States: A Competitive Opportunity for SMBs in Castilla y León" earlier this month.

The event was organized by Isabel García Tejerina, Minister of Agriculture, Food and the Environment (similar to the U.S.'s FDA and EPA) and the president of Castilla y León's General Council, Juan Vicente Herrera Camps.  The focus of the summit was to offer guidance, resources and tools to enable businesses in the region to form commercial ties with organizations and companies in the U.S. who can help them to establish trade and business with our country, and extend an invitation for them to participate in the USHCC's National Conference in Miami this coming October.

It was a privilege to address the audience of over 200 entrepreneurs together with delegates from the U.S., among them Donald J. Salazar, board member of the USHCC, Javier Pérez-Palencia, CEO of the U.S.-Spain Chamber of Commerce, Arantxa Jordán, International Business Director of the U.S.-Spain Chamber of Commerce, and Alex Guzmán, CEO of the Board of Directors of the Utah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Our Spanish counterparts were Alfredo Bonet, Director of International Affairs of the Chamber of Commerce of Spain, Félix Moracho, president of Vitaris, and Santiago Aparicio, president of the Confederation of Business Organizations of Castilla y León.  

In spite of the overall economic slowdown in Spain, Castilla y León had an interesting 2015: 5,412 companies from the region exported $15.7 million euros in 2015, a 17% increase over their figures for 2014, and a 22.7% increase for the first quarter of 2016 over the same period in 2015.  With regard to trade with the U.S., 1,219 companies reported doing business with the U.S. in 2015, becoming the country with the largest percentage of trade with Castilla y León, with over $171 million euros in revenue.

We look forward to welcoming these entrepreneurs and companies as they broaden their commercial footprint, which allows both Spain and the U.S. to meld cultures and policies while contributing to the sustainable growth of our economies.

More info (in Spanish), here: https://bit.ly/29E9ACl