The third program of the “Regional Business and Investment Opportunities with Honorary Consuls” webinar series organized by the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association (MÜSİAD) focused on the South America Region and was held with the participation of former Minister and Honorary Consul of Honduras Bülent Akarcalı, who also served in posts such as the Ministry of Health and Social Assistance and the Ministry of Tourism, Honorary Consul of Brazil Silvyo Benbassat and Honorary Consul of Paraguay Cengiz Deveci. 

Speaking in the opening section of the program, MÜSİAD Diplomatic Relations Committee Chairman Zeki Güvercin emphasized that the institution of the Honorary Consulate holds a highly strategic place in the development of commercial cooperation between countries and that this institution should be brought further to the fore. Recalling that as MÜSİAD they had organized an honorary consuls meeting at their Head Office in previous years under the chairmanship of their President Abdurrahman Kaan, that the commercial and economic diplomacy of Türkiye and of different countries, primarily the USA, Europe and the Asian countries, had been discussed at the MÜSİAD-World Honorary Consuls Trade and Diplomacy Summit attended by around 50 honorary consuls at the MÜSİAD EXPO 2020 International Trade Fair, and that after the EXPO the first two of the “Regional Business and Investment Opportunities with Honorary Consuls” Webinar series had been held with the participation of the honorary consuls of the African and European region countries, Zeki Güvercin said the following about this South America-focused program: “We see that serious trade and diplomacy efforts have begun between our country and the countries of the region, particularly after the trip our esteemed President made to the region in 2018 and together with the work of the embassies mutually established. As MÜSİAD, we too support these efforts by working to establish branches and to produce joint business delegations and projects. We know that the American continent, and especially Latin America, is very important in increasing our country's foreign trade, and in this respect we see that the Honorary Consuls also assume a key role.” 

What Did the Participating Honorary Consuls Say?

Honorary Consul of Honduras Bülent Akarcalı: Honduras, a member of the CAFTA Free Trade Agreement, receives a large part of its investments from the USA. This enables the country to conduct its trade with the USA with less bureaucracy, more quickly and more efficiently. At this point, our exporters and especially our textile producers who wish to enter the US market can easily do so via Honduras. Although there are difficulties in the country's local banking system, our business people considering investment here can work with international banks. In our exports to Honduras, which has a trade volume of around USD 10 million with Türkiye, iron and steel products, plastic products, glass and glassware and cement products take place, while our imports consist of items such as coffee, spices, tobacco products and live plants.

Honorary Consul of Brazil Silvyo Benbassat: We can say that Brazil is the most important country of the region in terms of both surface area and population. Brazil, whose relations with Türkiye have continued for many years, has in recent years been using Türkiye as a port especially in order to enter the African market and is making investments in various sectors. While our exports to Brazil in 2019 were USD 478 million, our imports were USD 2,459 million; it is seen that Türkiye ran a foreign trade deficit of USD 1,981 million in its trade with Brazil. From here I invite all Turkish business people to trade with Brazil and to develop various forms of cooperation. As an honorary consul operating in the region, I am ready to provide every kind of support.

Honorary Consul of Paraguay Cengiz Deveci: For Paraguay, which in 2019 ranked 93rd in the world with exports of USD 8 billion and 90th in the world with imports of USD 12 billion and which has no outlet to the sea, river transport is of importance for the country's economy. The dams and power plants built on the rivers in the country provide a significant amount of electrical energy. Thanks to the two large hydroelectric power plants it shares with Brazil and Argentina, Paraguay has become an exporter of clean and renewable energy. Türkiye ranks 45th in Paraguay's exports with a share of % 0.1, while it ranks 22nd in its imports with a share of % 0.4. Our exports to Paraguay amount to USD 47 million and our imports to USD 35 million. While the main items of our exports consist of iron and steel products, machinery and equipment, motor land vehicles and rubber products, we see that in recent years Turkish Films and TV Series have also become popular in the country and that Turkish Culture has begun to be known.