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companiescompanies By Brad Bodenhausen

What has always fascinated me about export product. Central is home to a The Chamber’s Executive Vice Presi- Chile is its unique geography. The long, vast region of agricultural production, with dent Brad Bodenhausen spent six narrow country forms about half of South wine-making, fruits, vegetables and other weeks in Chile in July and August America’s Pacific Coast, yet its width never food products bringing Chile to the brink working with the Chilean-American exceeds 150 miles. The imposing of breaking into the ranks of the World’s Chamber of Commerce in . Mountains guard Chile’s eastern border top-ten food exporters. Southern Chile’s His experience in Chile was part and contribute, along with the ocean, to Lake District exports forestry products and of the American Business Fellows the country’s historic feeling of isolation has introduced salmon farming, which has program, coordinated by Partners from the rest of the world. But since 2004, rapidly become one of the country’s leading of the Americas and funded by the a Free Trade Agreement between Chile exports. U.S. Department of State. During his and the United States has opened a flood- My task during the American Busi- time in , Bodenhausen gate of business and professional connec- ness Fellowship was to research the trade studied the bilateral trade between tions between the two countries. between Chile and specific U.S. states. Since the United States and Chile and also Understanding the geography of Chile most of the attention in Chile is focused on worked to identify business oppor- is also the best way to learn about Chile’s California, New York and Florida, I asked to tunities in Chile for Springfield area economy. The in the concentrate my research on the Midwest- companies. north contains the world’s largest deposit ern states and, of course, I started with of , which provides Chile’s leading Missouri. In the process, I tried to identify

10 Springfield Spirit | October 2011 potential export opportunities for busi- nesses in our region. Trade between Missouri and Chile is growing rapidly. As a destination for imports from Chile, Missouri is the 10th largest market in the U.S. and Chile’s top export market in the Midwest. In terms of U.S. exports to Chile, Missouri ranks 28th among all states but was among the 10 fastest growing exporting states between 2008 and 2010. Missouri’s leading exports to Chile include grinding balls used in the milling process, veterinary vaccines and wood barrels used by -makers – which primarily come from Independent Stave Company just up I-44 in Lebanon. Overall, the Midwestern states are leading exporters of excavators for the industry and other types of heavy machinery used in agriculture and construction. Based on the trade statistics and my mental stewardship. Not unlike the U.S. large companies are now using Chile as meetings with U.S. companies successfully and most other parts of the world, Chile a springboard into other parts of Latin operating in Chile, I noticed a few common is grappling with how to find the right America. Missouri companies exploring themes. First, businesses with perhaps the balance between economic growth and opportunities there will find a very orderly greatest potential for success are those environmental protection. Energy production and organized business culture, a stable that supply equipment, technology or and consumption, water usage, industrial and pro-business government structure, innovation (i.e. problem-solving) to the efficiency, and land use decision-making and a strong national commitment to free leading industries in Chile. The five industries are some of the current challenges the trade. of primary focus should be mining, wine- country is debating. U.S. companies that If you would like to discuss the making, salmon farming, agribusiness/ have expertise in these areas will have potential for specific business opportuni- food processing and forestry products. opportunities to succeed in Chile. ties for your company, please contact A second area of opportunity exists Bilateral trade between the U.S. me at the Chamber office, 862-5567 or for companies that are doing innovative and Chile tripled in the first five years of [email protected]. things in the areas of energy and environ- the Free Trade Agreement, and many

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