Havana’s International Fair yielded $70 million worth of contracts

Before rolling down the curtains, the 20th edition of Havana’s International Fair awarded the best products, stands and attending countries. Two days before the official closing ceremony, over $70 million in commercial contracts ($62.1 million) and foreign investment ($8 million) had already been signed.

Experts on joint operations zeroed in on the establishment of partnerships, especially in such sectors as light and sugar industries, as well as on the local stock breeding and agricultural fields.

The information was revealed by Marta Lomas, Cuba’s Minister of Foreign Investment and Economic Collaboration, during FIHAV 2002’s award-winning ceremony in which 23 Gold Medals were doled out –twelve of them to items manufactured by Cuban companies. Other prized countries were Italy with three awards and Spain with two, while Germany, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Japan and South Korea walked off with one each. Spain grabbed the award as the commercial partner with the largest representation –a grand total of 106 enterprises, a figure that rules out the country’s joint ventures with Cuba- in an event that generated a high tourist turnout.

“At a time when the world is still going through a complicated, difficult and somewhat uncertain situation, you have set an example of hardworking and upbeat spirit by coming massively and enthusiastically to Havana’s International Fair,” Cuban president Fidel Castro told entrepreneurs at the event. Mr. Castro thanked attendants for betting once again on Cuba’s future, “especially with the additional merit of showing that confidence on this small island inhabited by a hardworking, firm and struggling people of good faith.”

Closing statistics have it that FIHAV 2002, a tradeshow that stretched out from Nov. 3 through 10 at EXPOCUBA Fairgrounds, gathered 915 foreign companies from 56 nations, plus some 500 Cuban enterprises dealing with both the manufacturing and marketing of exports. The fair was visited by 16 official delegations and 42 representatives of chambers of commerce, export promotion centers and an array of international and local entrepreneurial partnerships.

“The objective of expanding our trade and business,” Mrs. Lomas said, “has found in FIHAV a space committed to outlining higher goals. Once again, the tradeshow has proved wrong the failed policy of isolation and economic blockade imposed by U.S. governments on Cuba for over 40 years. A good case in point is the trade relations the island nation holds today with 160 countries”.

In her closing remarks, Mrs. Lomas highlighted Belgium’s debut at the fair with an official pavilion, and the celebration of national days dedicated to Spain, Korea, Canada, Africa, the Caribbean, Brazil, Mexico, Italy, Germany, Belgium, the Dominican Republic and the United Kingdom. FIHAV 2002, an event that drew scores of foreign and local tourists to the premises, also granted Germany the Best Pavilion Award. Mexico’s pavilion was awarded for generating the largest turnout.