Uruguay will promote its outstanding wool production in the world under the brand 'Uruguay Wools'

The country distinguishes itself by producing quality wools, internationally recognized for its origin and production process.

Uruguay presented the brand Uruguay Wools, a marketing tool to promote the internationalization of the sector and consolidate the country's opportunity to become a reference in the wool industry, both regionally and globally.

Uruguay Wools synthesizes the value proposal in the claim "pure natural mystic," which is defined by the attributes of innovation, "glocal" profile (global + local), design quality, natural origin, and clarity.

The activity was attended and supported by the Vice President of the Republic of Uruguay, Beatriz Argimón, the General Director of the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture, and Fisheries (MGAP), Fernanda Maldonado, the President of the Uruguayan Wool Secretariat (SUL), Miguel Sanguinetti, the Executive Director of the agency Uruguay XXI, Jaime Miller and the Executive Deputy Director of the same agency, Inés Bonicelli.

"This event has a significant importance. The excellence of our wools has converged in these times with the national design, which for a decade has been developing steadily, mainly by the youngest," said the Vice President at the opening of the event.

The plan and the brand emerged from the joint work between Uruguay XXI and the National Strategic Plan for the Sheep Sector (PENRO) -an inter-institutional body made up of several actors in the Uruguayan sheep chain, which supports this productive activity that enjoys substantial competitive advantages, with validated prices and destination markets and a solid history aligned with sustainability and international trends.

The General Director of MGAP, Fernanda Maldonado, summarized some initiatives carried out by the portfolio and stressed that "at the commercial level it is essential to develop a country strategy, which is why we applaud and support proposals such as these (...) Sheep production has a remarkable story to tell, and we will all work together to show its value".

The President of the SUL added that "the ovine and the wool fiber is part of the national identity and the roots of the country" and also indicated that it enjoys international recognition but that still there are left "duties to fulfill to see it play in the greater leagues of the world."

For his part, the Executive Director of Uruguay XXI, Jaime Miller, explained that the SUL and Uruguay XXI had created a promotion and development plan that reflects the country's values in wool production. "We want to recognize this sector that has always been part of our export chain, and we are committed to promoting it together with its references and in coordination with the competent authorities. This construction of this brand allows us to carry out activities from Uruguay XXI that range from telling its production history to supporting the more than 300 SMEs that work with wool. In each of these links in the chain, we are committed to working together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to develop new markets, finding attractive niches, and new ways of reaching them. Likewise, in coordination with the National Development Agency (ANDE), we will work with SMEs, designers, weavers, and artisans throughout the country to facilitate their internationalization. In short, to achieve a sustained exportable offer that stands out for its quality and originality," said Miller.

The development of Uruguay Wools integrates brand architecture under the umbrella of the country brand and is part of the investment and export agency's mission.

"Uruguay XXI is in charge of concrete activities in this sense: based on specialized sector knowledge, it produces relevant information for exporters and investors, generates marketing materials, handles promotion, supports exporters, and attracts investment in each relevant sector of our economy. The work we will be developing for the wool sector is an example of this function", concluded the executive director of the organization.

With proven knowledge and productive experience, Uruguay is today the 4th most crucial exporter of wool tops worldwide in terms of volume, while if we consider the data in dollars, it is in 6th position. It currently supplies some of the most relevant importers at a global level: China, the European Union, Turkey, Peru, and Japan. The challenge is to consolidate access to these and new destinations, strengthening the sector's professionalization, improving the business environment, with more visibility and monitoring of trends and support in trade management and innovation.

The country stands out for producing wools of excellence, internationally recognized for its origin and production process. It also offers qualified labor and a century-old tradition in this activity, which positions it as a reference in the world.

Its designs with their own identity and adaptation to international fashion trends turn wool products designed and produced in Uruguay into luxury goods chosen by prominent celebrities and the most demanding markets.

Along these lines, the executive vice-director of Uruguay XXI, Inés Bonicelli, concluded the event by affirming that there is a global trend to value origin, where Uruguay stands out. "We offer wool produced and certified with animal welfare standards, in a sustainable way, shorn by certified crews, with qualified labor that we know also stands out abroad. We also offer wool classified as handmade, washed, and combed in companies that use renewable energies, which treat their effluents and take care of the environment. Today with innovation and technology, we can provide traceability of all this and reflect it in a label with a QR code that helps the final buyer in his purchase decision," he explained.