Mexican World Trade Center seeks to connect Arkansas companies with Mexican buyers

The World Trade Center Arkansas will be hosting an inbound trade mission with its partner World Trade Center Querétaro which seeks to recruit Arkansas companies to sell products or services to Querétaro, Mexico.

The WTC Arkansas will facilitate meetings between Arkansas companies interested in meeting WTC Querétaro representatives and the Consul General of Mexico in Little Rock. The diplomats and representatives will explain and discuss how to start the export partner matchmaking process. The meetings will take place at the following times and locations:

Monday, Dec.17 at 9:00 AM

World Trade Center Arkansas

3300 S. Market Street, STE. 400

Rogers, AR 72758

Tuesday, Dec. 18 at 9:00 AM

Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce

AT&T Auditorium

One Chamber Plaza

Little Rock, AR 72201

Tuesday, Dec. 18, at 2:00 PM

Jonesboro Chamber of Commerce

1709 E. Nettleton Ave.

Jonesboro, AR 72401

“It’s a testament to Arkansas’s economic attractiveness that foreign trade and diplomatic representatives are so deeply interested in our state’s products and services that they actually seek out Arkansas companies to sell in their home country,” said Melvin Torres, Director of Western Hemisphere Trade for the World Trade Center Arkansas. “Usually, the foreign trade officials visit our state to recruit buyers, so this is a unique opportunity for Arkansas companies to take advantage of a market that is literally seeking them out.”

Companies interested in meeting with the WTC Querétaro representatives and Mexico diplomats to learn how to sell to the region and Mexico as a whole can contact Torres to participate in the trade mission or fill out the interest form here. The meetings are free of charge.

A Natural Partner for Business

Querétaro is Mexico’s most highly developed city with more than 20 industrial parks, 45 research and development centers, more than 800 world-class companies and top level universities including Arkansas State University’s Campus Querétaro.

Much economic and higher education activity between Querétaro and Arkansas already exists, making the region a natural partner to grow business and explore educational opportunities with Arkansas companies and universities.

“This raises the opportunities of many young Mexicans and Americans to be able to potentiate their knowledge and generate a more promising future for both countries that will lead our region and world,” said Carlos Uribe, COO of World Trade Center Querétaro & Cancún. Uribe will join Torres in the meetings with Arkansas companies as the representative from WTC Querétaro

Next Steps After the Meetings

After participating in these meetings, the next step for any company seeking to sell to the region is to utilize WTC Querétaro’s business-to-business matchmaking service to find the best fit for their company. If a match is found, the Arkansas company can then decide to arrange the business-to-business meetings at the WTC Querétaro in Mexico during the World Trade Centers Association’s 50^th General Assembly in April 2019. 

The World Trade Center Arkansas will facilitate meetings at the General Assembly for Arkansas companies. STEP Grant funds may be available for eligible small business concerns.

The mission of the World Trade Center Arkansas is to grow trade and increase Arkansas exports by connecting Arkansas businesses to the world through international trade services. The Center is part of the University of Arkansas and serves as the trade promotion arm for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. For more information and valuable updates, please follow the Center on Facebook and Twitter or subscribe to the World Trade Center Arkansas newsletter.