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BETHESDA, Md. — The Auto Care Association hosted eight companies on a trade mission to Lima, Peru, May 17-19, the first in a series of trade missions that will be organized as part of the Market Development Cooperator Program (MDCP) award from the U.S. Department of Commerce. The association received the award to help the automotive industry increase exports to free trade agreement partners in Central and South America.
Day one of the trade mission included a country briefing presented by U.S. Embassy personnel, representatives from the Automotive Association of Peru and a local legal and regulatory expert. Trade mission delegates were then escorted to on-site visits at a local dealership and a local family-owned parts store. On the second day of the mission, the delegates participated in personalized business-to-business matchmaking meetings with foreign industry executives, pre-screened to match companies’ specific business objectives.
The eight participating companies were Cloyes Gear and Products Inc., ACL Distribution, Performance Friction Corp., Gates Interamerica, APW Knox-Seeman Warehouse Inc., CARDONE, Meyerban LLC and Gabriel. Staff and members from the Overseas Automotive Council (OAC) of the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association also participated and helped recruit participants for the trade mission.
“I had not anticipated that this trade mission to Lima, Peru would be as productive as it has been,” said Mick Jordan, vice president, marketing, Cloyes Gear and Products, an Auto Care Association member and current OAC chairman. “The briefings presented Tuesday by Peruvian and U.S. Embassy officials, and from the representative from the Automotive Association of Peru, were thorough and very informative. They clearly put into context the opportunities and challenges that exist in the Peruvian aftermarket. The site visits, as well as the one-on-one meetings that were pre-arranged, were very effective. I am certain that I will develop significant new business from this trade mission. Auto Care did an excellent job in organizing and executing this event.”
“We are very excited to have completed our first trade mission to Latin America and we are thrilled that early feedback has been so positive,” said Bill Hanvey, president and CEO, Auto Care Association. “The developing automotive market in Latin America holds tremendous export, business development and job creation opportunities for U.S. companies, and we look forward to working with the Department of Commerce, OAC and other partners on future successful missions.”
For details about the Auto Care Association’s trade missions, visit www.autocare.org/trade-missions.
