May 8, 2007

Spain targets Latin America

Spanish equipment suppliers are increasing their influence to South America Spanish suppliers association AMEC said its exports had increased from 15 percent to nearly 21 percent between 2005 and 2006.

This was announced during the IFFA exhibition in Frankfurt Germany this week.

However, exports to the European Union had dropped by 15 percent from 61 percent of total exports to 46 percent.

Represented by 33 companies at the IFFA show, AMEC said the meat processing equipment industry was worth Euro 114.6 million last year and export took 35 percent of that value with Euro 40.1 million.

The Spanish assault on the South American market will be seen over the next year with its presence in strength at the Techno Fidta show in Argentina and Expocarnes in Monterrey Mexico.

An AMEC spokesman said exports have grown by 16 percent in the last three years and is a reflection of the growing Spanish meat equipment exports in the Latin American market.

He added that much of the upward trend had been driven by the investment that had been made by supermarkets in the country.