–for Havana International Fair

A DELEGATION of over a dozen private sector companies will be heading to Cuba to participate in that country’s 35th staging of the Havana International Fair (FIHAV) 2017, from October 30 – November 3.

And, according to President of the Guyana-Cuba Solidarity Movement (GCSM), Haleem Khan, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will be signed between the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and the Cuban Chamber of Commerce, at a scheduled meeting of the two bodies during the Havana event. He said the delegations will use the event to expand the horizons of their businesses while seeking exposure for what Guyana has to offer to not just Cuba, but the rest of the world.
Khan noted that Guyana and Cuba maintain a dynamic relation in the economic sector, and over the past year representatives of many Guyanese private sector companies have visited Cuba to explore commercial opportunities.
He added that other Guyanese businesses are interested in investing in joint -venture production enterprises, specifically in furniture production and IT hardware and software manufacture.
Khan, who is also the Vice-President of the Region Three Chamber of Commerce and Industries, said the international fair is the largest annual multi-sector trade fair in Cuba.

He said that last year, the international fair welcomed over 1000 companies from 70 countries and that 58 Canadian companies exhibited in the Canadian pavilion.

FIHAV, the GCSM president pointed out, is a multi-sector trade fair with raw materials, foodstuffs, textiles, consumer goods, machinery and equipment, technology and services as its main areas.

“The absence of American competition from many sectors is not expected to last much longer, and other countries from South America, Europe, and Asia are aggressively pursuing unique market opportunities. Participation to FIHAV allows organisations to get their foot in the door and start developing key relationships with Cuban buyers,” he said.

FIHAV is a well-established fair that takes place annually since 1983. This year it will have a special meaning since it will be taking place during the period in which the Republic of Cuba holds the pro tempore presidency of the Community of States of Latin America and the Caribbean, a fact that will be recalled in several ways in its schedule of activities, conferences and seminars.