Chartered in 1982 as a private, non-profit spin-off of Guatemala’s Chamber of Industry, AGEXPRONT’s initial goal was the promotion and development of non-traditional exports for small and medium business enterprises (SMEs). AGEXPRONT was subsequently commissioned by the Guatemalan government’s Ministry of the Economy to manage a bureau called the Single Window for Exporters (VUPE[1]). Since its establishment, AGEXPRONT grew quickly to over 1,000 members representing over 100,000 mall producers. At the same time, Guatemala’s exports to the U.S. grew from US$ 90 million in 1982 to US$ 3.1 billion in 2004, an increase over 3000%. AGEXPRONT also staffs and operates the highly regarded Foreign Trade School serving exporters and importers in Guatemala and throughout Central America.
decision analysis partners delivered a comprehensive Technical Assistance (TA) project designed to provide AGEXPRONT with additional knowledge and tools that would enable it to increase its effectiveness in developing non-traditional exports to CAFTA and other non-CAFTA countries; to promote trade capacity building in general; and to remain one of the most successful export training institutions in Central and Latin America. decision analysis was assisted by Florida International University’s Knight Ridder Center for Excellence in Management, a recognized international leader in entrepreneurship research, education and outreach. Individual tasks performed under this project included:
This project was funded by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency.