The Investment and Export Network (Rediex), an agency linked to Paraguay’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MIC), presented Paraguay Business Week during a plenary meeting of the Foz do Iguaçu Economic Development Council (Codefoz) in Brazil. The meeting discussed business integration, tourism and opportunities in the tri-border region made up of Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina.
The presentation was led by Noelia González Bruera, Rediex’s regional director, at a meeting held on September 9 in the auditorium of the Foz do Iguaçu Commercial and Industrial Association. The objective was to update Brazilian businesspeople on the event’s program and expand cross-border participation.
Paraguay Business Week is scheduled for November 11, 12 and 13 at the TASK Center in the Itaipu Technology Park, in Hernandarias, in the department of Alto Paraná. The program will bring together four initiatives: the Alto Paraná Invest Forum, the Paraguay–Brazil Expo, the Maquila Expo and Plaza Mipymes, aimed at micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
The organizers estimate that more than 10,000 people will attend and project US$1 billion in business. González Bruera presented the figure as a Rediex projection, not as the value of contracts already confirmed.
Each activity will have its own structure. The Alto Paraná Invest Forum will feature conferences and investment meetings; the Paraguay–Brazil Expo will have booths and business meetings; and the Maquila Expo will bring together companies operating under the maquila regime, as well as technical talks. Plaza Mipymes will include spaces for business and an award for the entrepreneur of the year.
The agenda also addressed the “Christmas, Water and Lights” program, a traditional event in Foz do Iguaçu associated with increased tourism at the end of the year. The activity usually benefits commerce in Ciudad del Este, reinforcing the connection between Brazilian tourism and economic activity in Paraguay’s border region.
Codefoz serves as a business body in Foz do Iguaçu focused on economic and tourism integration. For Brazilian companies, Paraguay Business Week is an opportunity to learn about investment projects, suppliers and maquila operations in Paraguay at a single event; for Alto Paraná, regional participation aims to turn cross-border traffic into lasting business.