Plan to support SME exporters

Simplification of paperwork

The information required for applications to tools like trade missions and competitive funds are going to be simplified. Businesses will now only be asked to make a simple declaration, thereby reducing the time and costs involved in applying for these benefits.

From March onwards we will have a fast competitive line in place so that those companies that need to do so can travel to meet with their importers, thus continuing to build market confidence in Chilean business.

The financial contribution will be reduced for SME exporters so that more of them can take part in international trade fairs:

· 450 100% discounted spots to take part in 37 smaller international trade fairs.
· 50 50% discounted spots to take part in 8 larger international trade fairs.

Monitoring

· Working groups: ProChile aims to be the coordinating entity within the export chain. This is why we will be inviting exporter trade associations and the main public services and technical institutions dealing with aspects of the export process such as logistics, financial topics and permits to participate in working groups.

The first working group at national level took place on Tuesday 19 November and was attended by the Foreign Affairs Minister and the Undersecretary of International Economic Relations. Each of ProChile’s 16 Regional Offices is is also organizing working groups through the COMEX (foreign trade) groups .

· All the information in just one place: : In order to facilitate the search for useful information about the export process, ProChile’s website will group together the links where you can access institutions related to international business.

· Alert button: on the same website, we will implement a quick form where companies can alert us to the problems they have had related to exporting either in Chile or in export markets. This information will be sent immediately to their regional executive, who will contact the client and can try to help them resolve the problem.

Logistical Agreements

ProChile has a series of agreements in force and available to support companies’ logistical processes. In view of the situation in Chile, we have been able to enhance some of these agreements:

· DHL: 70% discount on their rates for clients who open an account with DHL. For clients who already have an account, DHL will improve the conditions and offer access to new credit terms. These improved terms and conditions are valid between November 2019 and March 2020. DHL is also available to talk directly to the exporter trade associations to look into new and better conditions for shipments for their industry. These improved terms and conditions are valid between November 2019 and March 2020.

· COFACE CHILE: 10% discount on the rate of premiums for export credit insurance for all ProChile SME exporters.

Trade Intelligence

· Trade opportunities: around 80 modular trade opportunity studies are to be made available, at no cost, on the ProChile website.

· Trade advice: on 6 December there will be an International Advice Round Table between exporting companies and ProChile’s Trade Directors in South America. Also on 6 December, there will be a seminar in Valparaíso about the opportunities in Pacific Alliance countries, with the Commercial Directors for Colombia, Peru and Mexico. Both events are intended to publicize trade opportunities to companies and advise them about how to approach these markets, taking account of the new reality in Chile.

· Virtual Business Matching Forums: Connecting exporters and importers via online business matching forums, prioritizing Chilean B2B companies.

In the second half of March, also in Chile, we are planning to hold an Exporter Meeting between the Trade Directors of priority markets and Chilean companies. .

Connecting Supply and Demand

Some events that had to be suspended because of the situation in Chile have been rescheduled:

· Binational Chile-Paraguay Meeting: This will take place on 12 and 13 December in Asunción in Paraguay. Given the circumstances in Chile, the call for participation in this event is being made to all export industries with goods and services to offer to Paraguay. Around 40 companies and 7 businesspeople from original peoples will take part.

· Meeting of Creative Industry Exporters, will take place in the first week in January. Around 30 international buyers are expected at this event. The event is intended to reinforce and deepen alliances and strategic trade networks and enhance shared knowledge between Chilean exporters and importers. ProChile is aware of the importance of the Creative Economy to Chile’s economic development, the generation of jobs and the role it plays in creating and deepening Chile’s identity abroad.

· The IT Exporters’ Meeting, will take place in the second half of January. Buyers from 15 markets and 150 Chilean exporters will take part. This is the first Exporters’ Meeting that ProChile is holding specifically for the information technology industry, with a focus on the verticals Fintech, Edutech, Retail, Agrotech and Logistics, as well as cross-cutting and bespoke solutions.

· Nintendo Seminar: This event is designed to help video game developers market themselves to Japan. Nintendo will participate in a workshop, showing what it is they look for in their business, and they will hold meetings with Chilean developers.

2020 Activities:

· Business meetings abroad : During the first half of 2020, we will prioritize business meetings abroad so as to get out into the world with our businesspeople: Central America and Caribbean Business Meeting, Business Meetings in Colombia, Sao Paulo, India, Indonesia and Vietnam, Tokyo and Thailand and the United Arab Emirates, so as to continue diversifying exports and markets. Around 500 companies are expected to benefit.

· Trade missions: Furthermore, during the first half year, over 30 industry-specific trade missions abroad will take place, highlighting the comparative and competitive advantages of Chilean companies and showcasing their professional attitude and specialization. Around 200 companies are expected to benefit.

· Business meeting in Chile: During the second half of the year, three exporter meetings will take place: Services & Industries, Creative Industries and Foods. These are being organized in order to continue supporting the internationalization of Chilean SME exporters. They will benefit around 300 companies. In addition there will be activities that we will organize while Chile holds the Pro Tempore Presidency of the Pacific Alliance: LAB4 and the Macro Business Matching Forum..

Specific Markets:

· Original Peoples: Programmes will be put in place for microbusiness owners from indigenous communities. These programmes will provide training in international sales and marketing and support with international fair trade certification. In order to help them promote their products or services, international buyers will be invited. We will also take to the Chile-Paraguay Meeting in December a delegation of 6 companies owned by people from original communities that offer products or services suitable for the Paraguayan market.

· Businesswomen: A mentoring plan is to be put in place in coordination with Corfo and the Economy Ministry in five regions of Chile. An Exporters’ Meeting will take place just for women entrepreneurs with the goal of increasing the number of women-led goods and service companies that participate in foreign trade. The ProChile tailored to your needs programme is also being adapted to offer business planning and promotion advice for women entrepreneurs.

Presupuesto destinado al apoyo de las Pymes exportadoras afectadas por la crisis:

El paquete de medidas tiene un costo total de 4,6 millones de dólares.

Estos son:

· 1,7 millones de dólares del presupuesto 2019, provenientes de los fondos que quedan aún disponibles este año.

· 2,8 millones de dólares del presupuesto 2020, que ya están confirmados, porque son fondos de continuidad.

A esto se suma el capital humano y la dedicación exclusiva de nuestro personal para atender a las Pymes exportadoras que lo necesiten, levantando oferta, conectándola con la demanda y entregando inteligencia de mercado para poder seguir adelante.

Las pymes ProChile generaron 353.132 empleos en el período señalado.

Acuerdos con CONADI

Acaucanía:

· En marzo se firmó un convenio para apoyar la internacionalización de empresas indígenas de la Región de la Araucanía que cuenten con oferta exportable, mediante la ejecución de un plan de formación y promoción internacional. Esta región concentra el 19,6% de la población indígena del país.

· Como resultado, hoy en la Oficina Regional de la Araucanía hay una profesional de origen Mapuche que se encuentra trabajando en ProChile, asesorando a las empresas mapuche que quieran exportar.

· Asimismo, se está realizando un coaching con 10 empresas exportadoras mapuche del sector de agroalimentos y se está coordinando una misión para agronegocios a Estados Unidos o Canadá, que debería realizarse en el primer semestre de 2020.

· Además, 6 empresas exportadoras mapuche que se encuentran haciendo el Coaching en la Oficina Regional de la Araucanía, participarán en la Binacional Chile-Paraguay que se desarrolla el 12 y 13 de diciembre en ese país. En la instancia, participarán en una rueda de negocios y también en un evento de networking, además de otras instancias que se están coordinando.

Más casos de éxito en el país:

· En Arica tenemos el caso de éxito de Gladys Huanca quien fabrica mantas de lana fina de alpaca y se encuentra exportando a Bélgica. Este caso también pertenece al convenio que tenemos con Conadi en esa región.

· En la Región Metropolitana, nuestra oficina, quienes realizaron una misión de prospección a México con la participación de un grupo de cinco empresas (Valeria Martínez, Nain, Ricardo Cona, Castro y Loncomilla, Vuelvo al Sur y Huenumán Orfebrería), que, a través de sus dueños y/o producción, están relacionadas a los pueblos originarios, especialmente al Mapuche.

· Este también corresponde a un convenio con Conadi para la capacitación de empresas de pueblos originarios en el desarrollo de su proceso exportador.

Red Externa

· ProChile hace una importante contribución en inteligencia de mercado, generación de redes y contactos comerciales, apoyo a la apertura e ingreso a los mercados externos. Todo lo anterior, con nuestra red de 56 oficinas comerciales en el mundo y 16 oficinas regionales a lo largo de todo nuestro territorio.

· Gestión: durante el 2018 se realizaron 984 agendas comerciales de negocios para 793 empresas. A la fecha se han concretado 605 agendas comerciales para 460 empresas. Este servicio es altamente valorado por las empresas, ya que les permite acceder a contactos comerciales que sólo no los podrían obtener.

· Asimismo, rehicimos todos nuestros estudios y pasamos de tener 14 formatos distintos con más de 200 páginas a solo 3 formatos digitales e interactivos de no más de 14 páginas donde se recogen las tendencias de los mercados desde el punto vista de la oferta y la demanda.

Agreements

We invite you to find out about the strategic partnerships that ProChile has organized and which have now been boosted to increase the benefits to our clients.

· Amazon
· Cámara de Comercio de Santiago
· Correos de Chile
· DHL
· FedEx
· INAPI
· Kuehne+Nagel
· Coface

Find out how each of these partnerships can contribute to your export success here