MINISTER LIM HNG KIANG’S VISIT TO LATIN AMERICA

Minister for Trade and Industry, Lim Hng Kiang, was in Brazil from 3 to 5 June 2008.

In Brasilia on 3 June, Minister Lim was hosted to lunch by his counterpart, HE Miguel Jorge, Brazil’s Minister of Development, Industry and Commerce. They discussed opportunities for both countries to further bilateral trade and investment cooperation. Minister Lim also had meetings with Ambassador Samuel Pinheiro Guimaraes Neto, Acting Minister, Ministry of External Relations; Jose Roberto Correia Serra, Assistant Secretary, Special Secretariat for Ports; and Jorge Rachid, Secretary, Receita Federal (Brazil’s equivalent of the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore).

While in Sao Paulo, Minister Lim met with Brazilian companies at a Business Investment Seminar organized by International Enterprise Singapore (IE Singapore).Speaking at the seminar, Minister Lim said, “Both Singapore and Brazil present a wealth of opportunities for companies from both countries. Brazilian companies can leverage on Singapore’s connectivity, network of FTAs and knowledge of the region for their ventures in Asia". Over 50 participants, many of whom were prominent Brazilian companies such as Embraer, Odebrecht, Sadia and Vale, were present at the seminar.

The business seminar marked the end of Minister Lim’s visit to Latin America during which Minister Lim signed the Peru-Singapore Free Trade Agreement in Lima and attended the APEC Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Trade held in Arequipa. Minister Lim’s visit also coincided with IE Singapore’s first agribusiness study mission which saw 11 participants from nine Singapore-based companies exploring opportunities in Latin America's growing agri-business sector.


MINISTRY OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY
6 JUNE 2008