Trade Mission
Latin and South America

Trade Mission to Chile & Peru

May 8, 2024 — May 15, 2024

Chile

Chile continues to be a strong trading partner and export market for U.S. companies, largely due to its open market policies, zero tariffs, democratic government, solid business practices, and low corruption. Chile is consistently the highest-ranked country in Latin America in terms of economic competitiveness. As the United States - Chile Free Trade Agreement concludes its eighteenth year, trade of products and services between the two countries continues to be a resounding success. As of January 1, 2004, duties were reduced to zero on 90 percent of U.S. exports to Chile, and in January 2015, all remaining tariffs were phased out, such that all U.S.-origin products enter Chile tariff-free. 

The top opportunities for Virginia exporters in Chile include: 

  • Agricultural Machinery and Equipment 
  • Education and Training 
  • Healthcare 
  • Safety and Security 
  • Mining Equipment and Machinery

Peru

Peru has been one of the fastest growing Latin American economies. Its prudent macroeconomic and fiscal policies, openness to trade, and growing middle class make Peru one of the best places to do business in South America. Peru is well integrated in the global economy through its multiple free trade agreements, including the United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (PTPA), which entered into force in February 2009. In 2021, trade of goods between the United States and Peru totaled USD 17.2 billion, up from USD 9.1 billion in 2009, the year the PTPA entered into force. Its economy is expected to grow 3% in 2023.  

The top opportunities for Virginia exporters in Peru include:

  • Food Processing Equipment 
  • Education 
  • Medical Devices 
  • Safety and Security 
  • Mining Equipment and Machinery

Registration Deadline

Contact

LeAnn Young
International Trade Manager, Eastern Region
Scott Kennedy
Senior Trade Events Manager

Frequently Asked Questions

Based on past trade missions, we expect 6-10 Virginia companies to participate. The registration process is ongoing until the trade mission is full or the registration deadline has passed.

You must pay the trade mission participation fee of $2,500 to the VEDP at the time of registration. The participation fee includes the following: 

  • Identifying, contacting and pre-qualifying local distributors, reps and/or partners and organization of your meetings with interested prospects
  • A “Doing Business In” briefing on the market(s) 
  • Your VEDP Trade Mission Leader and in-country consultant on hand during the week to ensure everything runs to plan
  • Interpreter if needed

All travel expenses including airfare, hotels, meals, individual ground transportation to be paid directly by each participant. Additional estimated costs you will incur include (but are not limited to):

  • Roundtrip airfare
  • Hotels (7 nights)
  • Meals
  • Airport transfers, taxis, and other miscellaneous items

In most cases, you will be traveling independently to the locations of the local companies with which you are meeting. Because most appointments will be held at the companies’ locations, travel and other logistics may prevent each delegate from having a minimum of 3-4 meetings each day of the trade mission.

 

For travel between meetings, our consultants will recommend the most effective method of transportation. This will likely be a local car/driver.

If required, interpreters will be provided for meetings and are included in your registration fee. 

Airline tickets: You book (and pay for) your own airline ticket via local travel agent or online air travel website. If you do not have a travel agent, the Trade Mission Leader can recommend one for you.

 

Hotels: VEDP will choose the hotel(s) and make reservations at a pre-negotiated government rate for each delegate. However, delegates will be responsible for their own hotel charges throughout the mission. All delegates will stay at the same hotel in order to facilitate logistics as well as to encourage the interaction and networking that is always a collateral benefit of traveling with a group.  You will pay all hotel room charges directly to the hotel.

 

Contact your local International Trade Manager or the Trade Mission Leader immediately! We only want you to make the trip if we think there is good market potential for your company. We can perform exploratory market research within a short period of time to verify market potential for you.