Trade between countries that previously didn't do much is more efficient now. For transport operators, that means that growth is spreading around in a region that has long been marked by huge imbalances between countries. Basing cargo operations for Latin America in Miami is still a foregone conclusion, some analysts say. That's because when it comes to international trade, Miami may be more a part of Latin America than it is a part of the United States, observes Robert Booth, president of Miami-based Aviation Management Services. The Web is changing everything and Latin America is no exception.
Users mean buyers.
One of Brazil's leading banks, Bradesco, which began offering free Internet service to its clients this year, already has several hundred businesses linked to its Web site. But Richard Camejo, vice president of air operations for UPS' Americas division, says the region still lacks the infrastructure required to support the new business model. Yet it all comes to a screeching a halt as soon as the goods cross a country border and are subject to very outdated customs processes. But some U.S.-based manufacturers are not waiting for logistics amenities to sell their wares over the Web. And when South American businesses get as savvy as the computer users, wine producers in Argentina and Chile may find a whole new way to reach U.S. consumers.