In May 2011, TEP launched a new project in Peru aimed at improving the competitiveness of SMEs and micro enterprises exporting biodiversity based products.
The project is being implemented in partnership with PROMPERU and Perubiodiverso (GiZ/SECO). As a part of this project, ITC held a one-day training event in September 2011 on key United States market access requirements. The aim of the events was to sensitize Peruvian biodiversity companies to the opportunities and risks of entering the United States market.
In total, forty companies attended the workshop, which was divided into three segments:
- The North American Market for Natural Products;
- Review of Claim Statements for Natural Products in the United States Market; and
- Product Labelling for Natural Products in the United States Market.
Through the workshop, it was clear that there was a general lack of awareness of the increasing level of compliance enforcement taking place in the United States in areas that could negatively impact Peruvian exporters of natural products.
The information provided in the training has since been published into detailed technical papers (downloadable free of charge from this site) which will help Peruvian companies to avoid the costs and pitfalls of investing in product concepts, labels and marketing materials that could lead to import refusals, FDA letters of objection, FDA warning letters and/or post-marketing recalls. More information on the technical papers can be found here.
