As US companies eye opportunities in the growing economies of Central and South America, businesses in Europe and Asia are increasingly using their operations in US cities as an entry point to Latin American markets.

Michal Kaczmarski talks to Peru's finance minister, Luis Miguel Castilla, about the government's plans to pursue social inclusion, free trade agreements and the importance of maintaining an open market. 

The Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul will be one of the host regions of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and the state's governor is intending to use the event to show would-be investors that the region is the easiest in the country in which to do business.

Companies setting up shop in Brazil, Russia, India and China are becoming increasingly dependent on financial outsourcing to navigate unfamiliar and often complex local legislation. While there are many advantages to outsourcing financial operations, there are myriad factors to consider before these can be realised.

With government commitment to the US aerospace industry seemingly waning, many are predicting a skills shortage in the near future. Given the rapid developments in the aerospace industry globally, particularly in China, are the days of Western domination in this field numbered?

The aviation industry was one of the main casualties of the global economic crisis in many regions around the world, but in the Middle East its growth has continued unabated. Central to this growth has been the expansion of Qatar Airways, which, according to its CEO, has no plans to slow down.

The world's economic balance is shifting, and sovereign wealth funds are starting to cut their exposure to developed economies and head towards emerging markets. But facing challenges such as limited availability of 'free-float' equity, the move does not come without risk.

Dogged by preconceptions of the region being a little more than a holiday retreat or a tax haven, investment promotion agencies in the Caribbean are focusing upon providing the best possible service to would-be investors – both large and small – in order to attract international businesses to their countries.