USTDA Regional Brief - Latin America and the Caribbean

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) advances economic development and U.S. commercial interests in developing and middle-income countries. The agency funds technical assistance, feasibility studies, training, orientation visits, and business workshops that support the development of a modern infrastructure and a fair and open trading environment. USTDA's strategic use of foreign assistance funds to support sound investment policy and decision-making in host countries creates an enabling environment for trade, investment, and sustainable economic development. In carrying out its mission, USTDA gives emphasis to economic sectors or projects that may benefit from U.S. goods and services and to activities that measurably affect development in the host country.

Since the agency's creation in 1981, USTDA investments in Latin America and the Caribbean have produced over $6.1 billion in U.S. exports.

The following is a partial list of recent USTDA-supported projects in Latin America and the Caribbean:

Brazil

State of Ceara Data Center Project – The $180,690 feasibility study grant will help the Ceara Information Technology Company plan the creation of a new state government data center that would upgrade and consolidate the various state secretariats' data centers with the participation of the private sector, either under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) or some form of a traditional outsourcing contract. The project is designed to meet the growing demand for information and communication technology (ICT) to support the state's e-government applications, services and portals with greater efficiency and flexibility.

COPASA Water Re-Use Project – A $164,920 grant to the Companhia de Saneamento de Minas Gerais (COPASA) helping to plan a water re-use project at the Arrudas Wastewater Treatment Plant. The project will involve adding tertiary treatment capacity to produce an effluent that meets water quality requirements for urban residential, commercial and industrial water needs. Successful implementation of the water re-use project will improve the quality of water treated at the plant, thereby diminishing public health and environmental risks related to unsafe wastewater disposal.

Colombia

Civil Aviation Renewable Energy – The $700,000 feasibility study grant to the Unidad Administrativa Especial de Aeronautica Civil (Civil Aviation Special Administrative Unit, AeroCivil) will develop a plan for converting the power supply for remote air traffic control and weather monitoring facilities in Colombia from diesel generators to renewable energy sources. The Civil Aviation Renewable Energy Power Supply Project will allow AeroCivil to improve the reliability of their remote power supply infrastructure and reduce the cost of providing power to operate their remote facilities throughout Colombia.

Telecommunications Capacity Building – USTDA provided $484,600 to the Colombian Ministry of Communications to assess long distance licensing, local loop unbundling, and emerging technologies. The technical assistance seeks to foster enhanced competition in the long distance and cellular markets, as well as developing advanced wireless, broadband, and Voice-over-Internet Protocol services.

Costa Rica

El Diquis Hydroelectric Power Geotechnical and Financial Analyses – The $300,000 and $200,000 feasibility study grants to the Costa Rican Institute of Electricity (ICE) will support respectively the geotechnical and financial components of a $4 million feasibility study for the El Diquis Hydroelectric Power project jointly funded by the Inter-American Development Bank and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration, as well as in-kind contributions from ICE. The Project involves the construction of a 631 MW hydroelectric power plant that will meet Costa Rica's growing demand for electricity.

Dominican Republic

Emergency Response Management System – The $600,000 feasibility study grant to the Department of Planning and Programs of the Dominican Republic's Secretariat of the Interior and Police will support the development of a national 9-1-1 emergency response system. The study aims to enhance public safety and improve the investment climate by modernizing the country's information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure to provide real-time emergency call response.

El Salvador

Single Window Electronic Customs Portal – The $252,822 technical assistance grant to the Direccion General de la Renta de Aduanas, the customs agency of El Salvador, will help in the design and development of a single window customs facilitation system to enable importers and exporters obtain all required permits and documentation via single Internet portal in a minimum of time with a minimum of manual intervention.

Guatemala

Customs Transit Control System – The $387,500 technical assistance grant will support Guatemala's Superintendent of Tax Administration (Superintendencia Administracion Tributaria, SAT) to develop a more efficient and secure system that allows SAT to closely monitor customs warehouse transfers and cargo inspection activities, capture all commercial transactions, and reduce losses. The overall objective of the recommended TA is to support SAT in its desire to implement improved customs transit processes and the supporting ICT systems consistent with the core elements of the World Customs Organization (WCO) Framework of Standards.

Haiti

Port-au-Prince Airport Modernization – A $300,000 grant to the National Airports Authority is supporting the modernization of the Port-au-Prince International Airport in Haiti. The USTDA-funded assistance will set the stage for operations, management, and security enhancements at Haiti's main international airport as it strives to meet International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.

Honduras

Port of Cortés Dry Bulk Unloading Terminal – This $470,000 feasibility study for Empresa Nacional Portuaria (ENP) will examine the development of a dry bulk unloading terminal, which will improve the overall infrastructure and efficiency of operations at the Port of Cortes.

Mexico

Housing Finance Reform – USTDA provided a $250,000 technical assistance grant to help the Northwestern Mexican states of Sonora and Baja California Norte address the legal, institutional, and transactional reforms needed to facilitate a transparent housing securitization process, leading to the construction of low and middle-income housing in both states.

SCT Multimodal National Plan – This $1,323,900 technical assistance grant is assisting Mexico's Secretaria de Comunicaciones y Transportes in the development of a comprehensive national plan for modernizing Mexico's multimodal trade transportation infrastructure. Implementation of this project will strengthen Mexican competitiveness through targeted investments in vital trade transportation links which will create greater commercial efficiencies and lower costs along the supply chain.

Nicaragua

National Ports Law – Nicaragua National Ports Law – The $510,000 technical assistance grant will support the Nicaraguan National Port Authority (Empresa Portuaria Nacional, EPN) in the development of a framework for a National Ports Law (NPL). The NPL will establish an open, competitive and transparent framework for attracting private investments and operations into the port sector and help strengthen the overall competitiveness of the Nicaraguan economy.

Panama

Port and Maritime Sector Monitoring and Control Center – The $331,341, feasibility study grant will support the Panama Maritime Authority (Autoridad Maritima de Panama, AMP) in the development of a Maritime Sector Monitoring and Control Center (Center). The Center will help the AMP monitor and control Panama's maritime sector, including the administration of the Panamanian-registered fleet, national and international fishing fleets, ports, safety, security and environmental management.

Peru

Lima Integrated Solid Waste Management – The $441,960 feasibility study for the Lima Integrated Solid Waste Management project will enable the Metropolitan Municipality of Lima to enhance municipal solid waste management and collection in Peru's capital and largest city. The development of a comprehensive and integrated approach to MSW management, collection, and disposal in Lima would improve environmental and public heath conditions.

Lambayeque Flood Control System – The $394,940 feasibility study for the Regional Government of Lambayeque will support the development of the La Leche River Flood Control project in northern Peru. The study aims to enhance flood control and water conservation in a region that has suffered major floods caused by the El Niño meteorological phenomenon.

Uruguay

UTE Clean Coal Technology – USTDA provided a $419,729 grant to Uruguay's National Administration for Electric Supply and Transmission (UTE) for a feasibility study to develop a proposed 300 megawatt coal-fired power plant that would use clean coal technology.