Port Everglades officials encouraged by Chile trip

Port Everglades officials encouraged by Chile trip    With Chilean-owned Florida International Terminals generating new business and market opportunities at Port Everglades, a group of port officials have returned from a five-day trade mission aimed at strengthening the ties.
   'This mission provided the basis for connecting our growing cargo business to opportunities for foreign direct investment,' said Normal Taylor, director of Broward County's Office of Economic Development. 'Our contacts in Chile have been established and must be developed. There will be more business missions such as this one to accomplish the county's strategic objectives with Chile.'
   Compa''a Sudamericana de Vapores, better known in shipping circles as CSAV, opened its Florida International Terminals operation at Port Everglades in 2005.
   Broward County Mayor Josephus Eggelletion Jr. said F.I.T. 'has fueled Chilean commerce moving through Port Everglades,' adding that the growth in trade with Chile is 'largely due to CSAV's commitment to expand services in South Florida.'
   Port Everglades' leading trade market is Central America, but trade between Chile and South Florida increased 20 percent during 2006, officials say, and Chile is now the ninth-largest source of trade for Port Everglades.
   State estimates say trade between Chile and South Florida reached $2.4 billion in 2006. The trade is balanced, with about half of that total coming from consumer goods exported to Chile.
   The trade mission from Port Everglades included Phillip Allen, port director; Taylor; and Carlos Buqueras, port director of business development.
   'Our goal simply was to foster new business and strengthen existing ties with this major agricultural producing and exporting country in South America,' said Allen, who presented the port's current master plan project to executives at CSAV, CCNI and Hamburg S'd.