The 21 FECECA chambers have highlighted their key role in supporting the internationalisation of Spanish companies and, in particular, of small and medium-sized enterprises.
July 12.- On July 8 and 9, the Federation of Spanish Chambers of Commerce in America (FECECA) participated in two intense work sessions in Madrid, organized by the Ministry of Economy, Commerce and Enterprise and the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, where the essential role played by the Chambers in promoting the internationalization of Spanish companies and, in particular, of small and medium-sized enterprises was highlighted.
Within the framework of these events, FECECA held its Ordinary General Assembly where Antonio Basagoiti , president of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Mexico, was elected as the new president of the Federation for the period 2024-2025 ; Rafael Briz , president of the Official Chamber of Commerce of Spain in Guatemala, as vice president I and Yago Palao , president of the Official Chamber of Commerce of Spain in Colombia , as vice president II .
The Chambers also had the opportunity to share good practices, explore new avenues of collaboration with Spanish territorial chambers and deepen their knowledge of the international financing tools that the State Secretariat for Trade makes available to companies seeking to internationalise.
During the conference, three roundtable discussions were held. In the first, on “Presentation of Network Projects and Services (Barometers)”, Yolanda Jimeno , Secretary General of the Italian Chamber; Xavier Urios , General Manager of the Peruvian Chamber; Oscar Esteban , President of the Indian Chamber; and Alejandro Gomez , Executive Director of the Brazilian Chamber, participated. In the second, on “How to reinforce synergies and interaction in the Chamber Network?”; Alvaro Alonso , Secretary General of the Gijon Chamber; Nieves Agreda , Deputy Director General of the Zaragoza Chamber; Monica Vazquez , President of the US Chamber (Miami); and Igor Urra , Secretary General of the United Kingdom Chamber, exchanged their experiences and vision. Finally, a roundtable discussion was held on associations and organizations of the Chambers of Commerce, in which Eduardo Flores , Director of the Seville Chamber (AICO), participated; Guillermo Cobelo , Vice President of FEDECOM; Antonio Basagoiti , President of FECECA; and Luis Padrón , President of the Chamber of Commerce of Gran Canaria.
The event was also attended by Amparo López Senovilla , Secretary of State for Trade of Spain, who highlighted the important work of the Official Spanish Chambers of Commerce abroad (CAMACOES) in supporting and advising Spanish companies.
For his part, José Luis Bonet , President of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, highlighted the key role of the CAMACOES in supporting the internationalisation of Spanish companies, which together with the territorial Chambers constitutes an essential lever for boosting the economy: “Unity is strength, this type of meeting allows for cohesion for the benefit of companies and society.”
Antonio Basagoiti , president of FECECA and of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Mexico, insisted on the mission of assistance and support in the internationalization of companies, and especially of SMEs because, “only 9% of Spanish SMEs export, although 23% of them obtain 65% of their turnover from abroad.” Basagoiti called for leading the internationalization of SMEs, because this “allows for job creation, improving the trade balance, greater competitiveness, more sales, diversifying risks, and strengthening the economy for the general interest.”
In addition, the chambers featured a presentation by Judith Arnal , Principal Investigator at the Elcano Royal Institute, addressing the topic of “Competitiveness factors of the European Union”; Ignacio Torreblanca , Head of Madrid Office, European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), on the future of the European Union; and Elena Gil , Director of AI & Big Data, Telefónica TECH, who analyzed the evolution of Artificial Intelligence.