AchemAmerica 2005
– gateway to NAFTA’s growth markets

AchemAmerica 2005, the international exhibition for process technologies, will take place for the second time in Mexico City from 12 to 15 April 2005. It is the major international event in Mexico and Latin America for the equipment branches of the chemical industry and process engineering.
With a GDP of almost 650 thousand million (bn) dollars and a population of over 104 million inhabitants, Mexico is the largest Latin American economy. It has become one of the most open economies and has a network of 13 free trade agreements covering 42 countries located on three continents. There is no doubt that Mexico is a hub for trade and investment and one of the best locations in the world for economic cooperation, explained the Secretary of Economics of the United States of Mexico, Fernando Jesús Canales, with regard to AchemAmerica, which will be hosted again in Mexico City next April. Mexico has a tremendous wealth of resources, including oil, natural gas and minerals. For this reason the Mexican government is backing the development of a high-capacity chemical processing industry.

The exhibition profile of AchemAmerica includes all the target groups that play an important part in and around Mexico’s process industry: chemical equipment and plant engineering, process engineering, petrochemistry, maintenance and quality assurance, environmental protection, water treatment, pharmaceutical techniques, biotechnology, food technology, agrochemistry, laboratory and analytical techniques, and packaging and storage techniques. The Conferences and Business Meetings accompanying the exhibition will feature current developments on all issues concerning process technologies. Key themes are
-Water and Waste Water Management,
-Novel Processes for Refining, SynFuels and Petrochemistry,
-LatAm-EU Cooperation in Life Science and Biotechnology.
Additionally, at the Business Meetings trends and opportunities for cooperation will be discussed which will open up new opportunities and contacts for cooperation with Mexico, particularly also for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Mexico – an attractive prospect
Mexico’s process industry experienced a dramatic upturn when the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) came into effect. The Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and Mexico in the year 2000 made this country an even more attractive prospect. Political stability, a sound currency and a well-qualified, motivated workforce are further strings to this country’s bow. For 2005 average industrial growth of around 4% is predicted; the highest growth rates, of 6.5%, are targeted for the chemical, petrochemical and rubber industries.
In 2003 foreign direct investments in Mexico amounted to US$ 10.7 bn, making it the most attractive location for investments in Latin America. Moreover, worldwide Mexico ranked among the leaders, for instance of the developing countries Mexico came third after PR China (US$ 57 bn) and Hong Kong (US$ 14 bn). The Mexican Department for the Economy anticipates that in 2004 foreign direct investments will rise to US$ 15.6 bn. Economic institutes estimate that from 1994 to 2004 approximately US$ 160 bn poured into Mexico.
Pemex, the state-owned petroleum company, is planning major investments, especially in the petrochemistry and refining sectors. The petrochemical program ”Fenix” alone, with contracts due to be signed in April 2005, has a volume of US$ 2 bn. Moreover in other sectors of the chemical industry, in pharmaceutical and food technology, in the energy sector and environmental protection there is a huge demand for investments for technologies, plants, components and services (see page 10). All the major international chemical and pharmaceutical companies are represented in Mexico. A workforce of 65,000 and 15% share of GDP single out the chemical industry as one of the most important industrial sectors. Moreover the investment activity of the pharma industry remains unabated: according to AMIIF, the Mexican Association of Pharmaceutical Research, in the current year 26 companies have invested over US$ 400 million. These companies are clearly oriented towards the NAFTA market. Viewed from this perspective, AchemAmerica 2005 provides an optimal setting for the presentations of the equipment branches for the process industries.

Strong partners and efficient networks
AchemAmerica is organized by DECHEMA – Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Frankfurt am Main, whose ACHEMA worldwide concept provides a platform committed to the high standards of ACHEMA in each of the three large economic regions, the EU, the Far East and North America. DECHEMA’s partners and supporting institutions are IMIQ (Instituto Mexicano de Ingenieros Químicos), ANIQ (Asociación Nacional de la Industria Química), CONIECO (Consejo Nacional de Industriales Ecologistas), CAMEXA (Deutsch-Mexikanische Industrie- und Handelskammer), AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers), Confederación Interamericana de Ingeniería Química, Interamerican Confederation of Chemical Engineering, GIFIC (French Association of Suppliers of the Chemical Industry), VDMA (Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau) and the European Federations of Chemical Engineering, Corrosion and Biotechnology.
The fact that the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Labour has once again approved the inclusion of AchemAmerica in its support programme underscores the significance attributed to this event for the German economy. Other countries, such as the USA, France, Belgium and Great Britain, also plan to have joint stands there. The presence of DECHEMA in Mexico City with colleagues on the spot will prove to be a strong asset for acquisition and promotion campaigns for AchemAmerica, particularly in Mexico and the Spanish-speaking countries.