Trade Connections

Argentina’s star is rising for business, and the glow is reaching South Florida. In 2015, Argentina’s trade with the Miami Customs district hit a record high, topping $3.2 billion for the first time. And through April this year, that commerce is up another 8 percent, WorldCity data shows. Boosting the glow: Argentina’s new pro-business president…

South Florida’s trade with the world is on track for its fourth straight year of declines in 2016, largely because of problems in key trade partners Brazil and Venezuela and lower prices for oil and metals. Still, there are some bright spots: trade is rising with Dominican Republic, Argentina and Ireland. Plus, the opening of…

  Could economic development in Cuba help South Florida ports make the most of an expanded Panama Canal? That is one likely scenario in the years to come, according to Rodolfo Sabonge, who spent nearly 30 years with the Panama Canal Authority, rising to executive vice president of planning and business development. Sabonge, who now…

For South Florida trade to really take off, airports and seaports need more than new routes to Asia. They also need lots more funding to expand and upgrade facilities. That was the view from directors of South Florida’s three largest ports, who shared the stage May 1 at WorldCity’s Trade Connections. The luncheon kicked off…

South Florida’s trade with the world dipped in 2014, but commerce is poised to gain from growth in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean and from expansion of the Panama Canal. Last year, South Florida came in 12th for international trade among the nation’s top 15 customs districts. Area seaports and airports handled $115.93 billion…

South Florida’s trade with the world dipped in the first three quarters of 2014, but the outlook for 2015 is brighter. Those were among forecasts from WorldCity’s Trade Connections held Dec. 10 and headlined by economist Jose A. Rasco, chief investment strategist at HSBC Private Bank Americas. WorldCity President Ken Roberts said lower gold prices…

  Latin America buys tens of billions of dollars worth of high-tech products yearly, but exports to the region still face obstacles, from tough Customs procedures to high tariffs in some nations. Overcoming those hurdles were among topics discussed at WorldCity’s Trade Connections on Oct. 17 featuring two Miami executives active in exporting high-tech goods…

 South Florida shines as a top trade hub for cut flowers, salmon and some tropical produce, but the area could do more to boost its prowess in other perishables such as medicine and grapes. In medicine, for instance, South Florida needs more warehouses designed to meet strict government rules, such as storing pharmaceuticals in temperature-controlled…

Brazil ranks as Florida’s No. 1 trade partner, but doing business with the South American giant still presents challenges from legendary bureaucracy to pockets of deep poverty and sky-high costs in some areas. Ways to meet those challenges were discussed at WorldCity’s Trade Connections on June 20 with two panelists: Mauricio Ortiz (pictured above), vice president…