March 2021 ALABC E-Newsletter

Dear Members and Friends,

Welcome to our March 2021 Newsletter.

At ALABC, we are very positive and optimistic about what is in store for 2021. We continue to deliver important webinars and in-person-events to raise awareness for the Latin American region. In this edition, we are publishing the confirmed list of upcoming events.

Australian and Latin American business relations are guaranteed to continue to thrive, creating many business openings and connections for our members. Building on initial discussions between Latin American and Australian business leaders, throughout 2021, ALABC will produce strategic insights, curate business opportunities, facilitate match-making and networking for our members to access the opportunities and key contacts in government and industry.

I am very pleased to report that we will have the privilege of hosting the CEO of Nestle Australia, Sandra Martinez, as our guest of honour and keynote speaker at our first Annual Dinner in Sydney, to be held at the Royal Automobile Club of Australia on Thursday 27th May 2021. Sandra was born and raised in Ecuador and she is an inspiring Latin American business leader, a champion in the combat against climate change, shared value and sustainability.

We are also happy to welcome the new Trade Commissioner of Brazil in Australia Ms Helena Massote de Moura e Souza. ALABC is looking forward to working with Helena to unlock the growing business opportunities with Brazil. Did you know that Brazil is the fourth country for international students in Australia?. By 2020, Brazil will be in the top 10 economies of the world.

Due to an upgrade in our communications system, please update our telephone number in your database to 0481 999 217. You can also still reach us on the number 1 300 0 ALABC.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like to discuss how we can support your business growth between Australia and Latin America.

Yours sincerely,

Marcelo Salas

Chief Executive Officer 

Australia-Latin America Business Council

ceo@alabc.com.au

Latin America and the Caribbean's economic recovery from COVID-19 in 3 charts

Latin America and Caribbean economies managed to bounce back from COVID-19’s initial economic devastation earlier in 2020. But the pandemic’s resurgence towards the end of the year threatens to thwart an uneven recovery and add to the steep social and human costs.

Green hydrogen projects proliferate in Chile, Mexico, Uruguay

Last week, several green hydrogen projects were announced in Latin America. AES Gener wants to set up a hydrogen production facility in Chile that would require around 850 MW of renewable energy capacity. The Uruguayan government is planning a tender for a pilot hydrogen project for sustainable mobility and the Mexican authorities are reviewing a large scale PV project planned to power a 75 MW hydrogen plant.

Explainer: Latin America's Lithium Triangle

The insatiable demand for the latest smartphone, along with a need to transition to clean energy, keeps driving demand for the lightest of metals. Lithium, with its high electrical conductivity, is key to many rechargeable devices, such as cellphones, laptops, and energy storage systems, not to mention electric vehicles, for which global sales are expected to rise 70 percent in 2021. All in all, the global lithium market is projected to quintuple over the next 35 years. 

Chile's blasting conglomerate ENAEX

Enaex completed the acquisition of 100% ownership of Downer Blasting Services (DBS), the rock fragmentation services subsidiary of the Australian company Downer.​
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DBS will now operate under the name Enaex Australia. The company has more than 20 years of experience in blasting services in both open-pit and underground mining. With five emulsion plants and 40 pieces of mobile equipment, Enaex Australia provides services to iron ore, gold, coal, and other mines.​

ASX Bastion seeks long-lost Chilean mineral elephants

An interesting new Chile-focused gold and copper explorer will list on the ASX this week, with Bastion Minerals, scheduled to enter the market tomorrow.

Entering with a three-project playbook, Bastion’s (to be ASX:BMO) focus is on realising long-lost potential in the mining friendly jurisdiction of Chile.

Global lithium giant Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile and JV partner Wesfarmers.

Wesfarmers has held its nerve on its big lithium project, even as sentiment around the sector has gyrated wildly. 

They say that with age comes wisdom. The latest major investment by 106-year-old grand old conglomerate Wesfarmers is a case in point.

Chile Becomes Latin America’s COVID-19 Vaccination Champion

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — After being among the world’s hardest-hit nations with COVID-19, Chile is now near the top among countries at vaccinating its population against the virus.

h America’s Pacific coast is the champion of Latin America, and globally it is just behind Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

Peru’s mining industry is fueling the country’s post-pandemic economic recovery

Peru’s mining industry is on track to be one of the fastest in the world to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, according to its Ministry of Energy and Mines.

Preliminary figures from the World Bank estimate that the Peruvian economy will grow by 7.6% in 2021.

Trade and Investment Queensland appoints a mining consultant in Peru

Considering the importance of the Peruvian mining market, Trade and Investment Queensland has decided to place a business consultant for mining in Lima, Peru to identify and develop opportunities in Peru’s mining sector for Queensland companies.  Ivonne Villafana is our new Business Consultant for Mining in Peru.  Ivonne has worked for more than 10 years in the mining industry in Chile and Peru.  She has experience identifying new clients and alliance partners, assisting with optimisation projects, and organising events in the Latin American region.  With her strong finance and administration background, Ivonne is also an expert in financial modelling, cost estimating, planning, and control.

Brazilian opportunities for ASX-listed companies

If there’s a country worth paying attention to right now for investors in ASX-listed resources companies, it has got to be Brazil. This gigantic Latin American country is about 9% bigger than Australia in terms of its land area, and, of course, it is much more populous, with Brazil’s 212 million leaving Australia’s mere 25 million way behind.

Australia's Fortescue eyes Brazil plant amid green hydrogen push

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Fortescue Metals Group Ltd is looking to build a green hydrogen plant in Brazil, executives told Reuters on Monday, as the Australian miner acts on recently announced plans to go carbon neutral by 2030.

8 tips for exporting to Brazil

Should Latin American SMEs consider the possibility of exporting their products to Brazil? Yes, because Brazil is the largest market in the region with almost 200 million inhabitants and because in addition to being a member of the Mercosur it has trade agreements with several countries in the region such as Chile and Bolivia, facilitating the entry of products into its territory.

Aussie Enegix Energy seeks to produce 600m kg/year of green H2 in Brazil

March 2 (Renewables Now) - Australian renewables company Enegix Energy Pte Ltd said that its planned green hydrogen plant in Brazil will have an output of more than 600 kilogrammes per year once in operation.

Saudi Arabia expands partnership with Brazilian meat operator

RIYADH: A Saudi agriculture investment firm is to expand into Australia through a partnership deal with a Brazilian livestock company.

The Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Co. (SALIC), a joint stock company owned by the Public Investment Fund, has entered into an agreement with Brazil’s Minerva Foods to acquire assets in Australia and set up a joint venture for the processing and export of beef and lamb produce.

Welcome to Helena Massote - Trade Commissioner of Brazil in Australia.

Helena Massote de Moura e Sousa was born in 12 May 1982. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the Ibero-American University, in São Paulo, and holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the Pontific Catholic University (PUC) do Rio de Janeiro. She was also a visiting scholar at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.

Emesent Hovermap Demo Day

Join Emesent for their upcoming Hovermap Demo Day where you can put Hovermap to the test. Take the controls and task Hovermap through an array of obstacles and understand how our world leading technology works to autonomously map and scan any environment.

Date: Thursday 25th March

Time: 8am-10am
Location: Ernest Baynes Dining Room
Main Arena – Ernest Baynes Stand
Brisbane Showgrounds
600 Gregory Terrace, Bowen Hills Queensland 4006

*Food and beverages provided*

When will air travel return to normal in Latin America?

Please join ALABC in this collaborative webinar on the trajectory of air travel between Australia and Latin America post pandemic. Register today to hear from a panel of expert speakers provide first hand insights on the aviation industry and when we can likely expect to resume international travel. 

Date: Thursday 25th March 2021

Time: 8:30 AM (AEDT)

EVENT SOLD OUT

Brisbane Dinner with the Ambassador of Peru in Australia. 

ALABC is delighted to host a dinner at The Brisbane Club with our Guest of Honour H.E. Miguel Palomino de la Gala, Ambassador of Peru in Australia. 

Date: Thursday 25th March 2021

Time: 6:30pm - 9pm

Location: The Brisbane Club, 241 Adelaide Street Brisbane QLD 4000

Digital Infrastructure: Why it matters for your business? 

The Asia-South America digital gateway—a submarine cable connecting Chile and Australia, plus the 5G networks rolling out across the Latin American region and resulting projects will enable the technology to be deployed in regional areas, providing opportunities for data driven businesses and especially benefiting mining, agtech, fintech, medtech companies offering IOT and AI-enabled solutions in Chile and in Australia.

Date: Thursday 22nd April 2021

Time: 8:30 AM (AEST)

Boardroom Luncheon with the Ambassador of Chile

Please join ALABC in this intimate boardroom luncheon discussion featuring the Ambassador of Chile to discuss the current economic and social state of the country and how Australia can do business with the region. 

Date: Thursday 22nd April 2021

Time: 12pm (AEST)

Location: City Tattersalls Club Sydney, 198 Pitt Street Sydney NSW 2000 

Please register quickly as places are limited to a maximum of 25 people due to COVID-19 restrictions. 

The Sydney Annual Ibero American Business Networking Drinks

ALABC in partnership with La Camara is pleased to extend an invitation to our members and friends to join the second edition of the Ibero-American Business Networking Drinks in Sydney. 

Join us for this highly anticipated event and enjoy making new connections with representatives of business networking with Latin American countries over drinks and canapés. 

Date: Wednesday 28th April 2021

Time: 5:30pm (AEST)

Location: City Tattersalls Club, 198 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000

Boardroom Luncheon with the Ambassador of Peru

Please join ALABC in this intimate boardroom luncheon discussion featuring the Ambassador of Peru to discuss the current economic and social state of the country and how Australia can do business with the region. 

Date: Thursday 29th April 2021

Time: 12pm (AEST)

Location: Melbourne VIC 3000

Please register quickly as places are limited to a maximum of 25 people due to COVID-19 restrictions. 

Foreign Exchange Strategies: How to mitigate currency risk when operating in Latin America and Market Outlooks (Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico)

Register now for a business webinar in collaboration with Cambridge Global Payments who will share insights on currency risks and foreign exchange strategies between Australia and Latin America. 

Date: Thursday 6th May 2021

Time: 8:30am - 9:30am

SANDRA MARTINEZ 

CEO NESTLE AUSTRALIA

ALABC Sydney Annual Dinner 

Please join ALABC in a celebration of the growing business relationship between Australia and Latin America, spanning business, innovation, education, science and much more. We are pleased to announce that the keynote speaker for the event will be the CEO of Nestle Australia, Sandra Martinez.

Please register early as places are limited.

Date: Thursday 27th May 2021

Time: 6:30pm - 9:30pm (AEST)

Location: Royal Automobile Club of Australia, 89 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000

City Tattersalls Club

ALABC is pleased to announce our agreement with the City Tattersalls Club in Sydney to be our event partner for of our events in Sydney for the next 12 months. 

City Tattersalls Club has been a valued member since 2018 and a Patron since 2021. We look forward to helping promote their elegant and versatile venue and services to our members and stakeholders. 

CR Mining

CR (CQMS Razer) is a leader in engineering innovation and manufacturing of mining equipment. Our superior range includes hydraulic excavator cast lip systems, load haul optimization software systems, dragline buckets, ground engaging tools (G.E.T), dragline rigging, conveyor systems and fixed plant wear products.

Dentons

Challenging the status quo to serve clients better
Driven to provide clients a competitive edge, and connected to the communities where its clients want to do business, Dentons knows that understanding local cultures is crucial to successfully completing a deal, resolving a dispute or solving a business challenge.

Austrade Export Services

On Wednesday 17 March 2021, Austrade launched its new export services (export.business.gov.au) to help Australian businesses looking to grow overseas. 

It provides data-driven export information, tools, insights and advice to help new exporters learn the basics of exporting, become export ready and find the right markets for their product. The first release is a minimum viable product (MVP), focused first on the Food and Agriculture providing the sector with comprehensive insights into market profiles and laws and regulations. However, the service also includes general export information and assistance available to other industries.

Boardroom Luncheon with the Ambassador of Colombia

On the 11th of March 2021, ALABC hosted our first Ambassador Series Boardroom Luncheons in Sydney since the height of the COVID-19 crisis. The luncheon was a huge success having accommodated for members and friends of ALABC to gather together to discuss insights and business opportunities post pandemic. 

A special thank you to our guest of honour HE Mr Alberto Jose Mejia Ferrero for presenting helpful and valuable information. 

ALABC Member's App to help you stay connected

Staying in touch has been difficult for all of us during this pandemic. With the Member's app, you can interact with fellow members anywhere from your mobile device, update your member profile, including your address, phone, email and Linkedin. You can even email and call fellow members, so it’s easier for you to stay in touch and build a community.

You will find it easier than ever to register and attend events using the mobile app. You can view your event calendar and event details, and register for events directly from the app.

You can also keep on top of your existing event registrations by viewing your tickets, adding events to your calendar, and make online payments.

Please view the information below and consider joining the Australia-Latin America Business Council using the online form. 

Benefits of Membership

• Generate new opportunities
• Make valuable connections
• Have your finger on the pulse
• Gain access to experts
• Be supported in your business challenges