By Karen E. Thuermer, AJOT Free trade agreements (FTAs) can save companies millions of dollars and create opportunities at home and abroad. While the United States has not yet signed an FTA with Colombia—as was hoped during the Bush Administration, Colombians are rushing forward to do business with North American companies nevertheless. In fact, in mid November, Colombia held its largest export mission ever to the United States. It involved two days of match-making sessions in Miami with pre-selected importers from the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Caribbean markets. Dubbed Bizmatch, the event was organized by Proexport, an entity of the Colombian government trade bureau. According to Maria Elvira Pombo, president of Proexport, 362 Colombian representatives from 13 different regions of the country were present at the two-day Bizmatch event. Bizmatch resulted in more than 300 business appointments. BIZMATCH RESULTS During the event, businesses struck $96.7 million in expected business. Of that $37.7 was booked with US companies as certified sales and $1.5 million in spot sales. Mexicans closed deals totaling $35.6 million in certified sales and $1.5 million in purchases. Business representatives from nine countries of the Caribbean region reported purchases of $15.7 million while Canada reported $7.6 million. The manufacturing and basic materials sector witnessed the greatest demand with sales of $38.6 million. Agribusiness, encompassing processed food products, oils, fats, and frozen fruit pulps, ranked in second place with expected sales of $33.8 million. Underwear, sports and designer clothing, institutional apparel (including uniforms), bags and leather accessories, and decorative garments from the apparel sector reached $23.4 million in sales for three, six and nine months. According to Proexport, these export results exceeded expectations by over $36 million. Proexport had recently set up similar aggressive trade events in Brazil, Chile, and Guatemala that were also successful. Shock Plan Besides aiming to give more than 800 Colombian companies access to new business opportunities, this success could not have come at a more important time. While match making events such as these are increasingly common and popular around the world, this particular event was set up as part of the government’s economic “shock plan” to replace rapidly decreasing bilateral trade with Venezuela. Venezuela traditionally is Colombia’s No. 1 trading partner. According to statistics published by the Venezuela-Colombia Economic Integration Chamber (Cavecol), in 2007 bilateral trade amounted to $6.95 billion, out of which $5.21 billion were Colombian exports. But relations between the two countries have been rapidly deteriorating. At the heart of the matter is Venezuela President Hugo Chavez’s rejection of Colombia President Alvaro Uribe’s decision to allow US military aircraft and warships greater access to Colombian bases. Consequently, in early November, President Chavez ordered his country’s military to prepare for a possible armed conflict with Colombia, saying the country’s soldiers should be ready if the United States attempts to provoke a war between the two South American neighbors. Consequently, Chavez has closed its boarders and cut off bilateral trade with Colombia, resulting in Colombian trade with Venezuela to decrease in October a dramatic 56%. Colombia’s Trade, Industry and Commerce Minister Luis Guillermo Plata commented during a Bizmatch press conference in Miami that trade had begun falling off being the two countries in July and August by some 27%. Critical routes especially closed for food stuffs. But Venezuela is not the only country impacting trade and relations with the South American country. Relations with Ecuador, which also borders Colombia, have also been tense. In March 2008, Ecuador temporarily broke off diplomatic relations after Colombia attacked a Marxist rebel camp on Ecuador’s side of the border. Besides t