HispanicBusiness

MIAMI, March 28 /PRNewswire/ -- AmericaEconomia, the largest-circulating Spanish-language business publication in Latin America, today presented its new ranking of the "Top 100 Global Competitors". These are the leading companies in Latin America, in terms of their economic development, integration in the international market and incorporation into global competition, among other ratings. Companies such as the Mexican cement producer Cemex, the Brazilian steel company Gerdau and the Chilean airline LanChile stand out on the list published in the March 27 issue because they are competitive not only at the domestic level, but also internationally.

AmericaEconomia has been doing this type of research since 1988, when it introduced the highly regarded ranking of the "500 Largest Companies in Latin America" and later, in 1998, it introduced the ranking of the "Most Competitive Companies in Latin America". This new ranking of the "Global Competitors" is a result of the growth and economic transformations that forever changed the face of Latin American business over the last few decades and of the trend of economic stabilization processes, the privatization of certain industries, and the capacity of these companies to become competitive in the world market, according to the magazine.

"This ranking of the 'Top 100 Global Competitors' is a representative sample of the elite of Latin American business," according to Ian McCluskey, Publisher of AmericaEconomia. McCluskey added, "Belonging to this select group means that you're in the big leagues of global business."

The countries with the largest number of companies that are considered global competitors are: Mexico, with 30, Brazil, with 28 and Chile, with 23. Other countries that stand out in the ranking are Argentina, with 8, Colombia, with 4, Peru and Costa Rica, with 2 each, and Nicaragua, Panama, and El Salvador, with one each.

The methodology used to select the companies included in this new ranking took into account the degree to which these companies are oriented towards competing in the global markets. This could be based on their exports, representing a large share of their total sales, their presence in foreign markets (through affiliates or subsidiaries), and the capacity to resist international competition in their domestic markets. The following are among the requirements this methodology considers: being Latin-owned, controlled or managed, and listing on the stock market or public disclosure of financial data.

About AmericaEconomia

AmericaEconomia has been published since 1986. It is the leading business publication in Latin America. Appearing every two weeks in both Spanish and Portuguese, it is the publication preferred by the most influential executives in Latin America. The magazine has editors and reporters in Santiago, Buenos Aires, Bogota, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Miami and a worldwide network.

For more information on the ranking and the methodology, visit http://www.americaeconomia.com/. AmericaEconomia Magazine

CONTACT: Amarilis Zozaya, ext. 24, or azozaya@acquacommunications.com,or Diana Montoya, ext. 23, or dmontoya@acquacommunications.com, both of AcquaCommunications, +1-305-860-6333, for AmericaEconomia Magazine

Web site: http://www.americaeconomia.com/