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@@@ Lee, on a two-day trade mission to Mexico City, will announce Tuesday the launch of LatinSF, an economic development program designed to promote business ties between San Francisco and Latin America. The aim is to attract Latin American businesses to San Francisco and help local companies <a href=http://www.alportico.net/gosoc.php> true religion outlet</a> expand into Mexico, Central America and South America. The program, a joint initiative between the city and San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, is modeled on ChinaSF, which has brought more than 45 Chinese companies to San Francisco since it was founded in 2008. Lee sees San Francisco not only as an attractive technology hub for Latin American companies, but also as a gateway to Asian markets for those businesses. 鈥淭his is part of an expanded international economic outreach plan鈥?that will only bolster the city鈥檚 status as a 鈥済lobal gateway,鈥?Lee said before he departed for Mexico on Sunday. San Francisco is not necessarily trying to supplant Miami, the long-standing U.S. nexus for Latin American business, or other hubs, like Houston and Los Angeles. Instead, the focus is on attracting business interests tied to the Bay Area鈥檚 leading industries 鈥?tech, bio-tech and clean energy 鈥?while opening up a region with a growing consumer class to San Francisco companies.
Lee is to make the announcement at Silicon Valley Day in Mexico City, a conference organized by San Francisco technology companies such as customer service聽 software company Zendesk. 鈥淚nterest in Latin America keeps growing within San Francisco technology companies, and this event is proof of it,鈥澛?Fernando Franco, trade and investment deputy commissioner at ProMexico, that country鈥檚 foreign trade and investment agency, posted in comments online. LatinSF is primarily focused on Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Peru 鈥?members of the Pacific Alliance trade bloc 鈥?as well as Brazil and Argentina, said Una Fannon, San Francisco鈥檚 director of international business development. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a growing region right on our doorstep,鈥?Fannon said. Getting there is not necessarily that easy though. San Francisco International Airport has nonstop flights to Mexico but currently none to South America. That could change if there is more business demand for routes. 鈥淟atinSF will improve connections to the region,鈥?Fannon said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a chicken-and-the-egg problem. You have to build the business need to make it attractive to the airlines.鈥? San Francisco taxpayers are kicking in $100,000 <a href=http://capstone.edu.sg/images/guccioutlet.onlinesalecc.php>Gucci Shoes</a> for the initiative, with the private sector expected to match that. So far,聽 the Mita Institute and Tech Accelerator has committed $15,000, <a href=http://www.alportico.net/prodotti/christianlouboutin-sale.jkmsw.php>Christian Louboutin Online</a> and Aeromexico has donated two free flights for the program, a city official said. Unlike ChinaSF, which has an office in Beijing and Shanghai, no overseas office is planned yet for LatinSF, which will operate out of space from the Chamber of Commerce. San Francisco has identified a director for the program but would not yet release the person鈥檚 name. He or she is expected to start in 鈥渁 month or so,鈥?Fannon said. While in Mexico, Lee met with U.S. Ambassador Anthony Wayne on Monday to discuss the influx of undocumented youth. Lee is also meeting Mexican business leaders from the financial and technology sectors. Lee is not the only U.S. politician with eyes on Mexico. President Obama earlier this year made his fifth trip to Mexico as president. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was there last week, as was potential rival 2016 presidential candidate Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey. Gov. Jerry Brown and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti each visited earlier this year. John聽Cot茅 is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: jcote@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @johnwcote
