The Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, Magali Silva, said the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will promote the integration of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) into the global market and main supply chains.
The negotiating team of Peru encouraged the incorporation in the TPP of a specific chapter on SMEs for them to obtain international trade benefits and in order to make them more competitive.
“This is the first time a chapter on SMEs is included in a trade agreement, not only in Peru but around the world,” Silva noted.
In the last decade, exporting SMEs increased in number from 5,300 to 8,000.
“The breakthrough in insertion of SMEs into international trade shows that free trade agreements are also aimed at small enterprises, which include most of the companies in Peru,” she said.
The TPP will create a Committee that will develop support programs for SMEs (including micro-sized enterprises), which will take advantage of the new trade opportunities it provides.
Each country shall establish a website to provide useful and first-hand information on how to do business with TPP’s markets.
“Nowadays, SMEs exports are mainly directed to countries in America, especially to the United States, Chile, Mexico and Canada, all members of the TPP,” she underlined.
The business market will be expanded, which is why the website will be designed, so that SMEs get information on markets such as Japan, Vietnam or Malaysia, whose languages are difficult to understand for most Peruvian people and businesses.
“The TPP includes chapters that seek to ensure the whole population can take advantage of the benefits arising from such trade agreement,” she added.
(END) RGP/RGP/RMB/MVB
Published: 7/17/2015