APEC: Growing Indigenous Businesses Through Trade (Phase 3) – Mexico
Australia strengthens bond with Mexican Indigenous communities.
In a workshop held in Mexico City last week, Arnold Jorge and Angela Wright from the Export Council of Australia and Australian First Nations representative, Sharon Brindley from Jala Jala Treats, are proud to have engaged with Mexican Indigenous entrepreneurs on the opportunities from global trade.
The two-day workshop brought together Indigenous businesses from various states of Mexico representing products such as traditional clothing, jewellery and dolls, coffee, honey, natural salts, wine and spirits. Most of the participants were women entrepreneurs.
The dialogue highlighted:
- how exports could help increase incomes for their (Indigenous) communities, making new connections and learning innovative practices, as well as promoting their culture around the world
- that export can be complex and come with substantial risks, and therefore research and ongoing capacity building is essential
- the practical aspects of trade, including the application of AI to market research, why HS codes and tariff duties matter, that knowing Incoterms (or International Commercial Terms) is part of the language of doing business, and that alternative business models can enhance revenue sources
- the value of international marketing, such as segmenting customers and how to engage them, and adopting products to the market
- how Indigenous women succeeded despite the significant challenges and societal constraints through determination and entrepreneurship.
We very much appreciated opening remarks from Mexico’s Under Secretary of Economy for Foreign Trade, Mr Alejandro Encinas, and the Australian Ambassador, Ms Rachel Moseley, who also hosted a networking event for the workshop participants. We wish to thank all of our workshop guest speakers, including from Bancomext (a financial institution), SEPOMEX (Mexico’s postal service), IMPI (agency for intellectual property protection), Economia officials (including experts in trade agreements), and INPI (agency providing Indigenous support). We also recognise the contribution of Perla Buenrostro Rodríguez of Bolder Group in connecting with candidates for this initiative.
We thank the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for funding this project under the auspices of APEC – Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and for the invaluable support received from the Mexico’s Secretariat of Economy, especially Gabriela Mendez. Thank you also to Penny Toledo.
We look forward to future commercial collaboration between Australian and Mexican Indigenous businesses, including our participants:
Abelardo Peña Tinoco; Angélica Cosio – Dueña y Fundadora de Maxa kwaxi, artista inhata; Diana Pérez soriano; Demetria Reyes; Elfego López Peña; Erika Tezmol Ramirez; Industria Silvicola; Industria Silvícola Zona Maya; LAURA HERNANDEZ; Lucero Díaz García; Mario Hernández; Nalyn Chablé; Ollin Quetza AC Fundación Rocio Aslida Norzagaray Sandoval; Uriel Vasquez.
