March 2025 ALABC Newsletter

IN THIS ISSUE 

• Letter from the CEO
• Industry News - A combination of news articles specifically curated for news relevant to the Latin American region. 
• New Members - Get in contact with our new member companies to create new business opportunities. 
  
• Upcoming Events - See what's upcoming in your city 
• Past Events - View event photos, hear about the latest activities and initiatives 
• Featured Members - Find out which companies are being featured this month

Letter from the Chief Executive Officer

Dear Members, friends and associates of ALABC,

2025 has already brought challenges, with elections, an unpredictable geopolitical landscape and tariff uncertainty being front of mind for Australian businesses.  As a result, it has become very clear what a vital part multilateral and bilateral trade agreements play in supporting cross border trade.  Further, it has brought into sharp focus the importance of “trusted partnerships” and the value of a multi-market approach in ensuring robust bi-lateral trade and foreign investment.  As a trading nation, Australia is skilled in seeking out new markets, but more importantly is how we foster those relationships into long standing and mature partnerships that bring mutual benefits to all parties, both here and Latin America. 

As we move into the year, I wanted to share with you that ALABC achieved membership growth of between 6.2% and 19% across membership groups in 2024. Additionally, ALABC inked several new agreements with stakeholder groups including chambers of commerce, industry groups and university partnerships both here in Australia, and Latin America.  

With our members and their needs at the core of what we do, I would like to outline some key initiatives for 2025:

• Renewal and expansion of our Latin American based bilateral chambers

• MOUs with new regional partners

• Additional Boardroom Luncheons scheduled, with greater opportunities for members to participate as sponsors and speakers

• New educational programs, covering regional, country and industry specific content

• A series on infrastructure, highlighting country specific portfolios of opportunities

• Activities focusing on energy transition

• Events and engagement opportunities in Western Australia scheduled for Q2

• An expanded IMARC program

• Support for inbound delegations.

Included this month are links calling for submissions on the Renegotiation of the Australia-Argentina Bilateral Investment Treaty and Costa Rica’s possible accession to the CPTPP.  This is your opportunity to directly relay your feedback on these important treaties. 

Please enjoy reading this month’s newsletter. 

Hasta pronto!

Kim Prior

Chief Executive Officer
ceo@alabc.com.au

ALABC and the Embassies of Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador and Guatemala are exhibiting at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo!

We’re thrilled to announce that from March 20-22, ALABC, and four Latin American countries—Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ecuador, and Guatemala—will be showcasing at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo 2025 at the Melbourne Conference and Exhibition Centre!

Join us at Stand I2 to experience some of the finest coffee from the region, with exclusive tastings and insights from special international guests, including representatives from Instituto del Café de Costa Rica and the Heads of Mission from Ecuador, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Guatemala. Don’t miss this opportunity to discover the unique flavors and traditions of Latin American coffee!

Originally signed in 1995 and in force since 1997, the current BIT is outdated. Australia aims to modernize the agreement to enhance regulatory protections while providing greater certainty for investors. This includes revising outdated provisions to better align with contemporary standards.

We invite interested stakeholders to provide input on this renegotiation. Details on how to make a submission are available on the DFAT website.

Call for submissions: Costa Rica's potential accession to the CPTPP

On 28 November 2024, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) Ministers met for the Eighth CPTPP Commission meeting and announced the commencement of an accession process for Costa Rica.  

DFAT is now welcoming submissions from interested individuals and groups on the opportunities and impacts of Costa Rica’s potential accession to the CPTPP.  Stakeholders are invited to consider market access opportunities and challenges for goods and services trade with Costa Rica, including tariff and non-tariff barriers, and barriers to Australian investment into Costa Rica.

ALABC participates in COALAR Board Meeting

ALABC CEO participated in the Council on Australia Latin America Relations (COALAR) Board Meeting in Canberra last week, setting priorities & focus for 2025.

It was also a great opportunity to exchange outlooks with the Latin American Ambassadors in Australia.

ALABC looks forward to supporting COALAR's important work in enhancing & enriching engagement across our regions in 2025 & beyond.

Member News: Fleet Space Acquires HiSeis

Fleet Space is thrilled to announce the acquisition ofHiSeis, the world’s leading provider of active seismic exploration technology for the minerals industry.

By folding HiSeis’ cutting-edge active seismic solutions into Fleet Space’s end-to-end ExoSphere platform, this acquisition will streamline the collection and processing of high-quality passive and active seismic datasets into AI-enabled insights on a global scale — enhancing subsurface characterization, drill targeting selection, and data-driven decision making across the mineral value chain.

ALABC recently attended member MPower Annual Awards in Sydney, celebrating the innovation, success and entrepreneurship of Latinos in Australia. ALABC CEO Kim Prior was honoured to on the judging panel of the entrepreneurship awards. 

Congratulations to all the winners and applicants on their achievements. 

The University of Newcastle

The University of Newcastle (UON), established in 1965, is a globally recognized institution in New South Wales, Australia. It evolved from a satellite campus of UNSW (1951) into an independent university, growing into a leader in education, research, and innovation.

UON’s main campus, Callaghan, is set in bushland near Newcastle. Additional campuses include Newcastle City, Central Coast (Ourimbah), Port Macquarie, Sydney, and an international campus in Singapore.

Ranked among the top 200 universities worldwide (QS Rankings), UON excels in engineering, medicine, business, environmental science, and social equity. 

Inexlink

We are an international company with presence in Chile, Peru, Colombia, Mexico and Australia. We drive circular economy partnering with companies maximizing value from their immobilized and surplus assets.

Our vision is to be a "Glocal (GLObal and loCAL)" change agent for immobilized and surplus asset management, developing a collaborative network between industries enabled through innovation and technology.

Our mission is to deliver comprehensive end-to-end solutions applying circular economy for immobilized and surplus assets maximizing "GloCal (GLObal & loCAL)" ecosystem value creation and environmental and social responsibility.

MyPass Global

MyPass Global empowers safe, agile and connected communities. MyPass is a digital platform designed to help companies in highly regulated industries reduce the risk and cost of managing workforce compliance, competency and safety.

Industry leaders such as BHP, Woodside, Shell, and Chevron leverage MyPass to keep workers and environments safe. Trusted by over 1,300 companies and 70,000 users globally, MyPass' expertise spans across various sectors from Mining and Resources, Energy and Renewables, Oil and Gas, Manufacturing, to Construction. Headquartered in Australia, MyPass has expanded its operations to Chile with support staff in Colombia.

FTI Consulting

FTI Consulting’s industry-leading experts in Australia are well-positioned to meet your business’ most critical needs – from strategic communications, forensic investigations and e-discovery to restructuring, healthcare, technology and beyond.

Big Planet Adventures

Big Planet Adventures Pty Ltd is the name of our Australian Company that is also registered in Cuba with the Ministry of Tourism (MINTUR), to legally operate tours in Cuba. We are a registered tour company in the UK and the USA.
With our in-house tour brand Cuban Adventures we have been operating tours in Cuba since 2005, and as a DMC since 2007 we have been providing management and training services in Cuba to other global tour companies.

Ation Solutions

Ation Solutions is a business platform that facilitates the expansion of decarbonization solutions into Australian, Asia-Pacific, and Latin American markets, focusing on heavy industries. The company reduces risks, capital costs, and time-to-market for businesses in steelmaking, ammonium nitrate processing, cement, oil and gas, and coal mining. Ation offers a "plug and play" approach, handling legal, regulatory, taxation, logistics, and support, allowing companies to focus on core operations. By leveraging a strong local network, Ation ensures smooth market entry while addressing cultural and regulatory challenges. 

Acclime

Acclime is Asia’s leading tech-enabled professional services firm helping corporate and private clients seamlessly advance their businesses & interests in difficult-to-navigate markets in Asia and across the APAC region.

Acclime’s cross-border and multi-functional advisory teams provide all the expert insights you need to confidently gear up for your market entry. Whether you’re an established multinational seeking to increase your footprint in APAC, or a new entity just setting out, Acclime’s range of corporate services will seamlessly guide you from consultation to incorporation to maturity anywhere in the region.

Baker & York

Dr Erin Watson is a public policy and research consultant supporting international businesses in the APAC and Latin America markets. Erin is Chair and co-founder of the Australia Latam Emerging Leaders Dialogue. She is a Board Director of the Council on Australia and Latin America Relations at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Peru Webinars - 3 part Series! 

Unlocking Opportunities - Public Private Partnerships (PPP) 

After the success of our first webinar- Invest in Peru, in partnership with the Trade Commission of Peru we are delighted to welcome you to the following two webinars.

Webinar dates:
2: Opportunities in Peru, Wednesday 26 March (AU), 9:00am AEDT
3: HOW TO GUIDE, A Pathway to doing Business in Peru, Thursday 27 March (AU), 9:00am AEDT

 Price:
$30 + GST (One Webinar)
$50 + GST (2 Webinars)

Latin Sundowner - Melbourne Cocktail Reception

We’re excited to invite our Melbourne members and businesses engaged with Latin America to a special evening of networking and collaboration on Thursday, 20 March 2025, 6:00pm - 8:00pm.

With great thanks to our sponsor, italktravel & cruise Brighton, this exclusive event will bring together government representatives, Latin American Heads of Mission, ALABC directors, and key industry leaders for meaningful connections and conversations.

In collaboration with the Embassy of El Salvador, enjoy an exclusive tasting of Ron Cihuatán, and Costa Rican Coffee presented by the Instituto del Café de Costa Ricaadding a unique Latin American touch to the night!

Date: Thursday, 20 March 2025
Location: AC Hotel Melbourne Southbank
Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Price: $90 (Members) | $100 (Non Members) + GST

6 February: Boardroom Luncheon with the Ambassador of Colombia

ALABC was thrilled to host our first sold out event for 2025, an exclusive Boardroom Luncheon with the newly appointed Ambassador of Colombia to Australia, H.E. Diego Cadena Montenegro in Sydney!

This exclusive lunch welcomed esteemed ALABC members and guests who heard directly from the Ambassador on current opportunities for trade and investment with the region. With Colombia’s dynamic economy and growing engagement with Australia, there is immense potential for collaboration across various sectors.

Thank you to our valuable sponsor LATAM Airlines for their support in hosting this event.

13 February: Canberra Cocktail Reception

Ambassadors from Uruguay, Peru, Ecuador, Cuba, Brazil, El Salvador, Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Chile and Panamá, and Embassy representatives from Argentina and Guatemala.

Please view the information below and consider joining the Australia-Latin America Business Council using the online form. 

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