CEBU CITY, Cebu, Philippines — The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) has announced that it will be conducting a two-week trade mission to South America in the latter part of November in an effort to strengthen economic ties between Cebu and Latin America.

Some 30 CCCI members are set to visit the countries of Brazil, Argentina and Chile next month, along with Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.

“We have scheduled the first foreign trade mission of CCCI to South America because there is a strong potential for local businesses here to tap the region’s booming economy,” CCCI President Samuel Chioson announced last Monday.

He said Garcia will sign a sisterhood agreement with Chile, a move that will be supported by the entire Cebu business community.

Chioson said Cebu can capitalize particularly on South America’s beef products, while the latter can take advantage of Cebu’s agricultural products like fruits and such export goods as furniture, fashion accessories, construction, and mining, among others.

“Trade missions and business linkages with other foreign chamber counterparts help us to continue our efforts to become the engine of economic growth in Cebu by doing more advocacy programs that would benefit the entire province,” Chioson added.

CCCI is has recently won two major awards during the Philippine Business Conference and Exposition (PBC&E) last week – the “Most Outstanding Chamber of the Philippines” award as well as the “Most Outstanding Chamber in the Visayas” title conferred by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI).