Huawei Technologies Ltd. in Latin America (Photo : www.usa.chinadaily.com.cn)
Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies has inaugurated on Thursday, Oct. 1, a new distribution center for its Latin American operations in Colon free trade zone in northern Panama, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
The report said that the opening ceremony was attended by well-known personalities that included Panama President Juan Carlos Varela, Minister of Commerce and Industry Meliton Arrocha, as well as national director of telecommunications Edwin Castillo and other officials and guests.
According to the report, Arrocha commended Huawei's decision, which he said contributes to the promotion of competitive business environment and political stability of Panama.
The minister further explained that Huawei, which has a current staff of 500 people in Panama, will create another 200 direct jobs and hundreds more indirect jobs at the 10,000-square-meter distribution center.
"It is projected that this new structure will house up to 15 production lines for Huawei products destined for all of Latin America," Arrocha said.
Wang Weihua, office representative of Commercial Development of China in Panama, said that the opening of the new distribution center shows that Huawei is confident of Colon's position as a business and economic hub.
Wang added that the center will be a logistic cooperation model between China and Panama. He said the company's products will be distributed to 35 countries from this center.
Huawei set up its first regional headquarters for Central America and the Caribbean in Panama in 2011.
China Daily reported in April that Huawei's business is thriving in Latin America, as the firm grows with local partners in research and innovation.
The report said that Huawei has been operating in the region for 16 years, with offices in seven countries, from Argentina in the south to Mexico in the north.
"Latin America is an important and strategic market for us," Yang Guanglin, director of public relations at Huawei's South American branch, said. "It has huge potential demand for electronics."
In 2014, Huawei sold as many as 109.5 million smartphones in the region, a 59-percent increase from the previous year, according to German market research firm GfK.
