[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 57 (Wednesday, March 25, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14423-14424]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-7724]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
Business Development Mission to Eastern Caribbean
AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice serves to inform the public of a business
development and trade mission to Barbados, St. Lucia, and Grenada, to
be held May 3-8, 1998 (``the mission''); provides interested U.S. firms
with the opportunity to submit an application to participate in the
mission; sets forth objectives, procedures, and selection review
criteria for the mission; and requests interested parties to apply. The
recruitment and selection of private sector participants in the mission
will be conducted in accordance with the Statement of Policy Governing
Department of Commerce Overseas Trade Missions announced by Secretary
Daley on March 3, 1997 and reflected herein.
DATES: Applications should be received by April 8, 1998. Applications
received after that date will be considered only if space and
scheduling constraints permit. The mission is scheduled for May 3-8,
1998.
ADDRESSES: Request for and submission of applications: Application
packets are available from the Project Officer; Ms. Rebecca Hunt,
Regional Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy--Santo Domingo, Dominican
Republic, phone 1-809-221-2171 ex 404, fax 1-809-688-4838.
[[Page 14424]]
Numbers listed in this notice are not toll-free. An original and two
copies of the required application materials should be sent to the
Project Officer at the above address. Applications sent by facsimile
must be immediately followed by submission of the original application
to the Project Officer.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Rebecca Hunt, Project Officer,
phone 1-809-221-2171 ex 404. Information is also available via the
International Trade Administration's (ITA) Internet home page at http:/
/www.ita.doc.gov/doctm.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Mission Description
As a follow up to President Clinton's commitment at the Bridgetown
summit held in May 1997, the Department of Commerce will organize a
senior level business development mission to three Eastern Caribbean
countries to promote expanded commercial opportunities for U.S. firms.
The Clinton Administration has long been committed to fostering and
supporting the region's goals of economic diversification, sustained
growth, and social stability through the creation of service and niche
industries. The President's commitment to the Eastern Caribbean was
clearly confirmed with the Economic Goals that were established in the
Bridgetown Summit. The United States is committed to increased
participation in the economies of the region through: (1) The sales of
goods and services in the sectors mentioned below, and (2) joint
ventures and investments to foster competitiveness in each country and
throughout the region.
With stops in Barbados, Grenada and St. Lucia, the mission will
cover all of the Windward Islands (meetings will be held on Barbados
with representatives from St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica),
focusing on export and business development opportunities for U.S.
firms in the areas of tourism development (to include resort
management, architectural/engineering services, marina development,
building supplies and hotel/resort supplies), specialty and gourmet
food industry development (to include food processing and packaging
machinery and services, agricultural chemicals and industrial
veterinary supplies) and opportunities in the business services area
(financial, insurance and data processing) for small, medium and large
companies through contacts with both the government and private sector.
The mission itinerary will be as follows:
May 3 (Sun.) Arrive Barbados
May 4 (Mon.) Barbados
May 5 (Tues.) Barbados
Leave in pm for Grenada
Arrive Grenada
May 6 (Wed.) Grenada
Leave in pm for St. Lucia
May 7 (Thur.) St. Lucia
May 8 (Fri.) Mission Concludes
Criteria for Participation
Individuals must be a senior level executive, appropriate to the
goals of the mission, with authority to execute sales and other
marketing agreements. Company participation will be determined on the
basis of:
--Consistency of the company's goals with the scope and desired outcome
of the mission;
--Relevance of a company's business line to the plan for the mission;
--Past, present and prospective business activity in the Caribbean;
--Diversity of company size, type, location, demographics and
traditional under-representation in business.
--A company's products or services must either be produced in the
United States or, if not, marketed under the name of a U.S. firm and
have U.S. content representing at least 51 percent of the value of the
finished product/service. A national interest exception may be applied
to this 51 percent rule when a senior Department official deems it
appropriate.
--An applicant's partisan political activities (including political
contributions) are irrelevant to the selection process. The recruitment
and selection of private sector participants in the mission will be
conducted according to the Statement of Policy Governing Department of
Commerce Overseas Trade Missions announced by Secretary Daley on March
3, 1997 and reflected herein.
--Endorsements/referrals: Third parties may nominate or endorse
potential applicants, but companies nominated or endorsed must
themselves submit an application to be eligible for consideration.
Referrals from political organizations will not be considered.
Cost: Mission participants will agree to pay the mission fee of
$2,100. The participation fee does not cover participants' travel,
lodging or other personal expenses.
Authority: 15 U.S.C. 1512.
Dated: March 18, 1998.
Dolores F. Harrod,
Deputy Assistant Secretary, International Operations, US&Foreign
Commercial Service.
[FR Doc. 98-7724 Filed 3-24-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-FP-P
