Living in Peru : your everyday companion

Peru is one of the seven countries around the world, chosen by the Swiss Cooperation to support tourism and the entry into export markets in order to reduce poverty and increase jobs, stated on Thursday the national director of Mincetur’s Foreign Trade Development, Luis Torres.

“Our purpose is to obtain resources from this cooperation and use them in Lambayeque, which is one of the best sectors regarding Tourism and Foreign Trade, he added.

He pointed out that the Exporter’s Association of northern Peru and Peru's Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur) have worked together according to the decentralization policy, and seek to replicate the great performances of Lambayeque and Arequipa, regions where the Swiss Cooperation has also invested.

In this sense, Torres said that it is necessary to strengthen the regional strategy of exports named “Strategic Regional Plan of Exportation” (Perx) -Lambayeque, which aims to identify the region's opportunities in international markets and establish a work agenda.

News source: ANDINA

Hundreds of textile craftsmen from Puno (city in southern Peru) agreed to sell baby clothing to a Peruvian exporting company and puppets to a Canadian importing company, all made of alpaca fiber, based on the creation of the project “Fortalecimiento del Cluster Artesanal de Puno” (Strengthening the artisan cluster in Puno).

According to Norberto Giurfa Morán, head of the project, during the next six months, the Peruvian company “Innova International Trading” will buy 720,000 soles in clothing.

In addition, a Canadian company will purchase thousands of puppets made of alpaca fiber, which cost around 1 sol each, he told to Andina news agency.

Both artisans and companies agreed on prices during the activities planned for this week, seizing the opportunity of the visit of the Brazilian designer Salvatore Laureano, who works at the Versace fashion house.

Even though Laureano did not show up, transactions were made and deals were established.

He stated that, according to a previous agreement, the designer would take into account the work done by local artisans and their designs for his new collection autumn-winter 2009-2010.

News source: ANDINA

At least 245 farmers from the Tiruque area in Arequipa and Omate in Moquegua were able to export over one thousand tons of Fuerte avocado to several European countries with the support from Sierra Exportadora, a government program that helps people from Peru's highlands take advantage of and export national products.

Peru’s Fuerte avocado, which is greatly demanded in Spain, was exported during the harvest season between February and June this year.

The chief of Sierra Exportadora in Arequipa, Aníbal Vásquez, said that Tiruque, located in the province of Caravelí, produced 650 tons of Fuerte avocado, while Omate in the province of Sanchez Cerro produced 450 tons.

"Spain is one of the European countries interested in consuming avocado, as well as other countries that have expressed their interest to continue acquiring the product for next year," he said.

Since last year, Sierra Exportadora has provided technical assistance to farmers of these rural areas. The production will rise from four to nine thousand kilos of avocado per hectare.

In addition, the program contacts farmers with buyers so that they are the ones who make, in a direct way, the export negotiations of their product, he added.

Sierra Exportadora has worked since last year in Arequipa in areas that are over 2, 800 meters above sea level with good results for the satisfaction of farmers receiving technical assistance to improve production.

News source: ANDINA

In the following days, Boulevard, a new six-million-dollar shopping center built in Chiclayo (Lambayeque), will open its doors.

Here, micro and small entrepreneurs of the Limean emporium of Gamarra will decentralize their sales.

Julio Lázaro, head of the Marketing Department of Boulevard, indicated this commercial center would open on September 18, with the initial operation of100 stores offering clothing, jewelry, footwear, and services such as hairdressing and beauty salons among others.

“We expect more business operators, so we can reach 150 stores by the end of October, and before the Christmas sales campaign, to register a total of 240 stores”, he stated.

He added that the economic growth of the country, with the presence of important shopping centers, would be strengthened with the performance of the biggest gathering centre for micro and small enterprises.

Lázaro emphasized that 25 entrepreneurs from Gamarra would redistribute their sales in Chiclayo with the acquisition of stores in this shopping center.

“Gamarra producers consider Chiclayo a good market, reason why they will compete in quality and prices with Chinese manufacturing imported by some businesses that arrived in Chiclayo some years ago", he added.

News source: ANDINA

Bridgestone Corporation officially opened a newly established sales company "Bridgestone Off-The-Road Tire Peru S.A.C.", which specializes in tires for mining and construction equipment in Peru.

Bridgestone previously established a sales company in Chile specifically to handle sales and services for off-the-road (OTR) tires for use at the numerous mines in Central and South America, specifically in Peru, Chile and Mexico.

Peru has been positioned as a key market for the sale of OTR in recent times due to continuing large-scale investment projects in that country's mining industry.

In accordance with plans to increase the capacity of large and ultra-large OTR radial tires at the new Kitakyushu Plant, which will begin production in 2009, Bridgestone has established the new sales company as a means to further strengthen the sales and service system for OTR tires in Peru.

The Bridgestone Group has created a comprehensive business model for OTR tires.

Besides providing quality tires in this area, efforts are made to supply the most appropriate tires to customers based on an analysis of usage conditions and vehicle characteristics in order to respond to demanding conditions.

In addition, tire repairs and consulting services on the proper use and maintenance of these tires are provided on-site.

The Bridgestone Group views large and ultra-large off-road radial tires as areas of growth. As such, these products have been positioned as strategic products with a strong competitive advantage in the market.

Bridgestone aims to be the undisputed world No.1 tire and rubber company both in name and reality by satisfying customer needs with quality products, a global sales network, strong service capabilities and excellent technological development competency.

The sales company in Peru is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bridgestone Off-The-Road Tire Latin America S.A., a sales company in Chile that specializes in off-road tires.

The sales company in Chile is a subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation.

News source: ANDINA

Net insurance premiums amounted to 2.46 billion dollars in the January-July period of this year, which represented an increase of 13.5 percent compared to the amount registered in the same term last year, which totaled $2.16 billion, Peruvian Insurance Association (Apeseg) reported today.

During this period, the insurance sector was composed of 13 companies, four dedicated exclusively to the general insurance branch, six belonging to life insurance, and three dedicated to both activities.

Between both analyzed periods, the growth of life insurance stands out with 23 percent, followed by general insurance with 14 percent, retirement and provision with 10 percent, and accident and health insurance with 5 percent.

In the branch of general insurance, car insurance stood out presenting a growth of 43 percent (28.7 million dollars), transport with 32 percent (6.02 million), the technical sector with 15 percent (5.45 million) and crime insurance with 45 percent (3.83 million)

News source: ANDINA

In the first seven months of this year, Peru’s handicraft exports amounted to 28.30 million dollars, 8.5 percent more than the amount registered the same month last year, reported today the Peruvian Export and Tourism Promotion Agency (PromPerú).

The most important destination markets for this sector were the United States (19.1 percent) and New Zealand (15.6 percent).

The main export items correspond to products made of Alpaca furs, with sales of 5. 20 million dollars, registering a growth of 93.3 percent compared to same period last year.

The main destinations for these products were New Zealand (4.39 million dollars) and the Unites States (379, 510 dollars).

Other important exportation products were decorative ceramics with 2.60 million dollars, which represented 9.21 percent of the sector's participation.

In this case, the United States (740,220 dollars) and Italy (639,190 dollars) were the markets with the most demand.

The handicrafts industry is an important activity due to it is a great source of employment, since thousands of craftsmen from all the Peruvian regions can show their skills and tradition by means of beautiful pieces.

News source: ANDINA

Brazil’s largest steelmaker Gerdau announced Monday an investment of 1.4 billion dollars to expand the production capacity of its Siderperú plant in Peru.

With this investment, annual output at Siderperu should rise to 1.5 million tons in 2011 and to three million tons in 2013, stated the company’s CEO, Andre Gerdau, after meeting with Peruvian president Alan García.

The expansion also will enable Siderperu to meet Peru's entire domestic steel demand. Today, Peru must import half the steel it needs, Johannpeter said.

The additional steel exports could eventually help close Peru's trade deficit with Brazil, said Jorge d'Escragnolle Taunay, Brazil's ambassador in Lima.

Trade between the neighboring nations reached US$2.2 billion last year, he said.

With annual sales of approximately 360,000 metric tons of finished products and 2000 employees, Siderperú is Peru’s largest steel company.

Its factory is located in the city of Chimbote, to the north of Lima.

News source: ANDINA

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

Consumers in Lima - Peru's most populated city - will have two new shopping centers to make purchases at by 2009, announced representatives from Interseguro life insurance company, part of the Interbank finance group.

Interseguro announced it is to open a shopping center known as Real Plaza Centro Cívico in downtown Lima and another to be called Real Plaza Puruchuco in Ate.

"Blueprints have already been approved by the municipality. We hope to start building in November or December of this year," said Gonzalo Basadre, Interseguro's Chief Investment Officer since 2004.

He explained that the shopping center in downtown Lima, just meters from the new underground bus station, is to have two department stores, a supermarket, a movie theater and a food court.

When asked about the establishment to be built in Ate, the head of the company's investment office stated it would be a 50,000 square-meter (538,195 sq. ft.) shopping center on a 120,000 square-meter (1,291, 669 sq. ft.) piece of land.

While the insurance company did not reveal how much transactions had cost, Colliers consulting firm estimated they had cost Interseguro $20 million.

"It seemed like an attractive area to invest in. There are modern shopping centers in northern Lima - soon there will be two - and in southern Lima. There isn't one in eastern Lima," said Basadre.

In this Andean nation far from glamorous runways, some of the most fashionable residents have four legs: vicuñas, alpacas and llamas.

Exports of the animals' fleecy coats have nearly doubled to more than US$43 million in the past four years, as models strut catwalks from Paris to New York wearing fur from the long-necked animals in the form of pricey ponchos, pants and pea coats.

Fleece shorn from the three species - known collectively as camelids - is "really soft and luxurious," said New York-based designer Rachel Comey, who says she sold about US$200,000 worth of alpaca knitwear last year, including hats, gloves and alpaca-lined boots.

Vicuña is the costliest, trimmed once every two years from the rarest of the three breeds, which roams the plateaued border region between Bolivia and Peru. A metre of the fabric sells for at least US$3000, while a basic stole starts at about US$950.

A similar stole made of alpaca - which is farm-raised and makes up 99 per cent of camelid exports - sells for about US$47, while llama fleece is rarely commercially sold.

The warm, dyeable fibres, long used for sportswear fleece, are being recast as a sexier luxury thread, spun into casual clothes and evening wear to appeal to deep-pocketed young professionals.

Demand is partly driven by the fleece's popularity with environmentally conscious designers, who want the softness of fur without the guilt, said Laird Borelli, a senior features editor at Style.com.

About 3863 tonnes of alpaca, vicuna and llama fleece were sold in 2006, the last year for which figures were available - mostly to Italy, Britain and China.

News source: ANDINA