PCCI and Mercusor ASEAN Chamber of Commerce forge cooperation pact

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), the country’s largest business organization and Mercosur ASEAN Chamber of Commerce (MACC) MACC signed a memorandum of agreement at the PCCI offices in Taguig City during a business forum held on June 29, 2015.

Under the MOA, the two chambers agreed to take all opportunities to promote, strengthen and expand trade, economic, scientific, technological cooperation between the Mercosur region and the PCCI.

The MACC Delegation was composed by Dr. Rodolfo Caffaro Kramer, MACC President; Mr. Piet Verdult, MACC Argentinean subsidiary president; Ms. Maru Quindimil, MACC Regional Director based in Manila, Mr. Carlos Deyheralde, MACC logistics and two business men accompanying the delegation, Mr. Marcelo Loyola, architect in commercial, industrial and private buildings and Mr. Daniel Atilio Yoan, engineer in technology

MACC is the first bi-regional chamber as such and looking forward expanding business opportunities among Philippines and Mercosur.

Mercosur, which means Mercado Comun del Sur in Spanish or South Common market, combines the following countries: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela.

MACC President, Dr. Rodolfo Caffaro Kramer said: “This is the first bi-regional chamber in the world… That opens significant number of opportunities to do exchanges from one region to another as well intraregion” … “Philippines are the best country to be the door to ASEAN region, due to historical ties with the Spanish colonization, culture and western systems. We are very alike and our background is similar. We always advice to start in the Philippines to make an entry point and then expand to other markets” “We know that there is a challenge in connectivity, but this is a mental block. China is present in all Mercosur countries, and I believe, China is further than ASEAN…”

According to Piet Verdult, vice president of Argentinean MACC subsidiary: ‘There are plenty of opportunities in the Mercosur region to increase trading to Philippines and vice versa in non-traditional markets such as Paraguay or Uruguay besides Brazil and Argentina that are very well known” …

Ms. Maru Quindimil, MACC Regional Director, explained, “Brazil and Argentina are not just providers of traditional products such as soy, meat or wine… They have a significant development in medicines, biotechnology as well high level of science” … “We can compliment each other and bring significant know how to Philippines”…

“Right now, there are several companies from Mercosur ready to come to Philippines and we can help them to do that journey much easier… we are building this bridge together which not only will move containers but also people” said Ms. Maru Quindimil

Kramer sees that ASEAN has integrated very well in despite of the diverse cultural backgrounds, economy stages and religions. Mercosur should be learning more about this.

“MACC and PCCI are complimentary in this endeavor. We invite the Filipino business men to come to Mercosur, where we will take care of them as well we plea to help Mercosur business men to be taken care off in Philippines…’” said .Kramer

During the event, there were networking opportunities with MACC – PCCI members to start business opportunities right away.

If you want to know more about MACC, please go to www. mercosurasean.com, its regional office is based in Manila.