[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 57 (Wednesday, March 25, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14424-14426]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-6996]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
[Docket No. 980319069-8069-01]
Joint Projects with the U.S. Commercial Centers in Sao Paulo,
Brazil; Jakarta, Indonesia; and Shanghai, People's Republic of China
AGENCY: U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service, International Trade
Administration, Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of opportunity.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce offers a unique opportunity for
nonprofit trade promotion organizations to undertake a joint project
with the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service (US&FCS), the export
promotion arm of the U.S. Government, in Brazil, Indonesia and the
People's Republic of China. This joint project features space sharing
with the US&FCS in the U.S. Commercial Centers (``Commercial Centers'')
in Sao Paulo, Jakarta, and Shanghai to enhance opportunities for joint
project participants to work toward shared market development goals and
assist U.S. companies in-country.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Alan Long, Director, U.S. Commercial Center--Sao Paulo, Rua Estados
Unidos, 1812, Sao Paulo, SP. 01427-002, Brazil; or
AMCONGEN--Sao Paulo, Unit 3502, APO AA 34030. Tel: (55-11) 853-2811;
Fax: (55-11) 3061-0718; Internet: ALong@doc.gov.
Jon Kuehner, Director, U.S. Commercial Center--Jakarta Wisma
Metropolitan II, Third Floor, JL. Jendral Sudirman, Jakarta 12920,
Indonesia. Tel: (62-21) 526-2850; Fax: (62-21) 526-2855; Internet:
Jkuehner@doc.gov.
Will Center Principal Commercial Officer, U.S. Commercial Center--
Shanghai Portman Shanghai Centre, Suite 631, 1369 Nanjing West Road,
Shanghai, 200040 China. Tel: (86-21) 6279-7640; Fax: (86-21) 6279-7649;
Internet: WCenter@doc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Commercial Center Concept
U.S. Commercial Centers are enhanced U.S. government export
promotion facilities that provide, under one roof, expert business
counseling by frontline Commercial Officers, a proven array of trade
promotion programs, and in-house business facilities. Commercial
Centers are the only U.S. government operations that are designed
physically and legally to share space on a long-term basis with
nonprofit trade promotion entities who seek to build a
[[Page 14425]]
presence in one or more of these countries. US&FCS has authority to
enter into joint projects on matters of mutual interest with public
organizations and establish U.S. Commercial Centers overseas under 15
U.S.C. 1525 and 4723a. By working with other trade promotion
organizations, US&FCS seeks to expand both the trade promotion
resources available to U.S. companies as well as the number of U.S.
companies served at the Commercial Center.
Eligible Participants
The U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service seeks other federal trade
promotion agencies, state-local economic development agencies,
nonprofit industry associations, regional and bilateral business
councils, and other nonprofit trade promotion entities to share space
in the Commercial Centers.
Features of Commercial Centers
Commercial Centers are strategically placed in the heart of the
business districts of Sao Paulo, Jakarta and Shanghai to serve clients,
U.S. companies, and their business partners in-country. While striving
to adapt to local business conditions and opportunities, each
Commercial Center provides a consistent level of service and access to
core features. In accordance with the authorizing legislation, Title
IV, Jobs Through Exports Act of 1992, U.S. Commercial Centers offer the
following basic features:
All the core US&FCS export promotion programs and services,
including expert business counseling, advocacy, business-facilitation
services;
Long-term space-sharing for nonprofit trade promotion
partners, such as other federal trade promotion agencies, state-local
export development offices, and nonprofit industry associations;
Fully equipped offices and executive support services (in Sao
Paulo and Jakarta) for short-term use by U.S. companies and trade
promotion organizations;
Multipurpose rooms for conferences, meetings, technical
seminars, product launches, receptions, and other business functions;
Exhibit or display areas, depending on the market;
Business Information Center, offering an array of information
products, including up-to-the minute commercial intelligence on trade
leads and opportunities, extensive market research on leading sectors,
on-line/CD-ROM-based company and product locators, and from the Sao
Paulo Center, accessibility from remote locations in the U.S. and
Brazil; and
Prime business location that enhances access to prospective
business partners and clients.
Joint Project Opportunity in Sao Paulo, Brazil
In July 1994, the first U.S. Commercial Center was established in
Sao Paulo. Since then, agencies including the U.S. Information Service,
the Foreign Agricultural Service, and the Export-Import Bank have
helped put the Commercial Center at the ``center'' of the bilateral
commercial dialogue by holding key events such as government-to-
government meetings, technical seminars, and business receptions at the
Center. U.S. and Brazilian policymakers used the Sao Paulo Commercial
Center as the primary vehicle for establishing the U.S.-Brazil Business
Development Council (BDC), the bilateral forum for government-private
sector commercial dialogue.
The San Paulo Commercial Center has four fully furnished private
offices (twelve square meters each) for long-term participants. Two of
these offices are expected to become available in July 1998. The annual
contribution to participate in this joint project covers use of a
private office, and common areas--reception area and business
information center (commercial library). Use of the multipurpose rooms
and audio visual equipment are available on a user-fee basis. For
short-term use of business facilities, please contact the Commercial
Center listed under the ``For More Information'' section or call the
Trade Information Center for a program brochure at 1-800-USA-TRAD.
Joint Project Opportunity in Jakarta, Indonesia
The late Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown officially opened the
U.S. Commercial Center in Jakarta during the ministerial meetings of
the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in November 1994. Since its
inception, the Commercial Center has been a vehicle for implementing
local and regional events, and linking trade policy with trade
promotion by organizing bilateral roundtables in conjunction with
technical seminars where participating small-and medium-size U.S.
companies can demonstrate technical expertise to host country
government policymakers and business decisionmakers. Already positioned
as long-term participants are the California Trade and Commerce Agency,
Foreign Agricultural Service and its Agricutural Trade Office, and the
U.S.-Asia Environmental Partnership (USAEP). The current economic
challenges sweeping through Asia make the Jakarta Commercial Center a
``first-stop'' in country for U.S. companies interested in pursuing
business opportunities in Indonesia and the region.
Located in the Jakarta World Trade Center Complex, the Commercial
Center has available one fully furnished office (twenty-five square
meters). The annual contribution to participate in this joint project
covers the use of the private office and common areas--a reception area
and business information center (commercial library). Use of multi-
purpose rooms and audio visual equipment are available on a user-fee
basis.
For short-term use of business facilities, please contact the post
listed under the FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT or call the Trade
Information Center for a program brochure at 1-800-USA-TRAD.
Joint Project Opportunity in Shanghai, China
The U.S. Commercial Center in Shanghai, established in July 1996,
is the first export-promotion facility of its kind in the People's
Republic of China. Through the Commercial Centers, U.S. state economic
development offices can open representative offices in China. Maryland,
Michigan and Washington are among the first states to place
representatives in the Commercial Center.
Shanghai is located at the mouth of the Yangtze River, the
commercial lifeline of Southeast China, reinforcing this pivotal city's
role as the commercial nexus that fits strategically between Beijing,
the administrative capital, and the special economic zones in the
southern and eastern coastal provinces. Placing the Commercial Center
in Shanghai, the financial hub of all of China, positions U.S.
companies to compete in the entire Chinese Economic Area, which
comprise the vast markets of China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, which
reverted to the Mainland in 1997.
The Shanghai Commercial Center includes six private offices for
long-term space sharing, two of which are currently available. Offices
are fully furnished and are either 20.6 square meters or 25.3 meters in
size. The annual contribution to participate in this joint project
covers use of private offices and common areas--a reception area and
business information center (commercial library). Use of the
multipurpose room and audio visual
[[Page 14426]]
equipment are available on a user-fee basis.
Please contact the post listed under the FOR MORE INFORMATION
CONTACT for annual contributions and other Center-specific information
or call the Trade Information Center for a program brochure at 1-800-
USA-TRAD.
Short-term Use of Commercial Centers by U.S. Companies or Organizations
The joint project opportunity, which features long-term space for
periods of one year or longer, is designed to assist nonprofit trade
promotion organizations achieve long-term market development goals. The
Commercial Centers in Sao Paulo and Jakarta also offer short-term use
of business facilities to U.S. companies and business organizations on
a user fee basis. For the latter group, the Commercial Center provides
an ideal venue to achieve specific, short-term business objectives:
hold meetings with prospective clients, potential agents/distributors,
local staff, conduct market research, stage technical seminars or
product launches, or find a local office. The length of time depends on
the specific business objectives and proposals will be considered on a
case-by-case basis. The broad goal of Commercial Centers is to offer
clients a unique package that combines US&FCS counseling and trade
programs and the convenience of using in-house business facilities--
fully equipped offices, meeting and conference rooms, exhibit/display
areas--at one site. The facilities are made available to complement the
core US&FCS trade promotion programs and services which are designed to
help U.S. companies export.
Next Steps
Contact the Commercial Centers directly to propose your use of the
Commercial Centers on either a long-term or short-term basis. The
Directors are in the best position to suggest most effective uses of
the Commercial Center resources to achieve your business goals in-
country. All proposals will be considered on a first-come, first-served
basis.
For the convenience of clients, Commercial Center brochures will be
made available through the Trade Information Center, located in
Washington D.C.
For general inquiries or requests for export counseling on
exploring business opportunities in Brazil, Indonesia and the People's
Republic of China and neighboring markets, call 1-800-USA-TRAD and ask
the Trade Information Center for the nearest US&FCS domestic field
office, referred to as the U.S. Export Assistance Center, for
individual counseling.
Marjory E. Searing,
Acting Assistant Secretary and Director General of the U.S. and Foreign
Commercial Service.
[FR Doc. 98-6996 Filed 3-24-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-FP-P
