Washington, DC -  The Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GWHCC) will launch the International Symposium “Promoting Trade Among the Americas,” the day after its Business Expo on March 25th from 9am-1pm at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The purpose of the symposium is to provide education on trade and investment between the U.S. and Latin America (LA) through existing free trade agreements.

“We’ve seen how the Business Expo has influenced and assisted thousands of Hispanic businesses throughout the past five years,” said Angela Franco, GWHCC President and CEO. “Now it’s time to take it to the next level. Most businesses are still looking to do business with Asia, but do not see the opportunities in LA, therefore we want to be able to provide that education in our symposium.”

The International Symposium is hosted as part of the GWHCC’s recently launched international initiative entitled “Promoting Trade Among the Americas,” during its Embassy Dinner Series in November of 2014. The international initiative also includes trade missions to Colombia, Mexico and Panama and from these countries to the US to promote trade.

“For the past two decades, we have watched as trade agreements have been proposed, ratified and implemented. Being personally aware of many of the products, resources and services the region has to offer we believe that it is crucial to continue to push forward," said Syddia Lee-Chee, GWHCC Board Member and Chair of the Initiative. "I believe that events such as our International Expo are the perfect platform for Hispanic and non-Hispanic businesses to leverage these opportunities which also help to improve regional socioeconomic standards in the Western Hemisphere. This key topic will also be addressed during the upcoming 7th Presidential Summit of the Americas to be held in Panama next month," added Syddia.

This event is free and open to the members of the press. For media credentialing, please contact Pamela Nieto at 202-340 -5157 or pnieto@gwhcc.org. For attendee registration, please register onsite.