Foreword

Despite the stagnation of total export growth in Latin America over the past few years, trade with Asia has continued to grow. From 2000 to 2013, the share of Asia in total Latin American exports increased from 6% to 20%, making Asia the region’s second largest trade partner. In contrast, the share of the United States fell from 59% to 41%, and sales to the European Union and to the region itself have actually fallen. However, Latin American exports to Asia are highly concentrated, consisting mainly of a limited number of commodities sold by a few, mostly large companies. The involvement of such a small number of actors in total Latin American exports may further increase the already high concentration of export revenues observed in the region. In this context, what options are there to counter this trend by encouraging higher direct or indirect participation by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in exports?

Sustainable Development Goals:

Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure