Strengthening commercial ties between Central America and Asia will be the focus of a new center opened in Beijing, China, Tuesday by the Chamber of Foreign Commerce and Representatives of Foreign Companies (CRECEX), according to a statement on the chamber’s Web site.
CRECEX decided to open its first office in China “with the certainty that (it) will bring great benefits to Central American and Chinese businesses,” said CRECEX Foreign Trade commission president Helga Céspedes. Central America is “ready to enter Asian markets,” she said.
From this office, the chamber will work with businesses around the rest of the Asian continent, carry out market research and provide logistics assistance.
Representatives from CRECEX and the Chinese Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) attended the office’s inauguration.
During the past few years, several Costa Rican business groups have traveled to China to participate in commercial fairs and create partnerships with their Asian counterparts.
Last year, Costa Rica exported $558 million in goods to China, a 131% increase over the $240 million sent there during 2005, according to the statement.
China exported $550 million to Costa Rica during 2006, 25% more than the $411 registered during 2005. Integrated circuits, shoes and cotton fabrics are the main products imported here from that country.
