[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 7 (Tuesday, January 11, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1600-1602]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-308]


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 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


U.S. Aerospace Supplier & Investment Mission

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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Mission Description

    The United States Department of Commerce, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service is organizing a 
U.S. Aerospace Supplier & Investment Mission to Montreal, Canada on May 
2-4, 2011. This aerospace mission is an

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ideal opportunity for U.S. aerospace companies to gain valuable 
international business leads in a low risk, highly important 
international aerospace market. Canada has the fifth largest aerospace 
industry in the world; in 2009 it generated over $22 billion in 
revenues. Participating U.S. companies will receive market briefings by 
Canadian industry experts, seminars on exporting best practices, 
participate in pre-scheduled, pre-qualified one-on-one meetings with 
Canadian aerospace supply chain contacts, engage in networking 
activities and visit key Canadian aerospace OEM plants such as 
Bombardier. This mission is designed to provide U.S. aerospace 
companies with a highly effective and unique opportunity to establish 
supplier relations with major Canadian aerospace companies. This 
mission presents strong potential for high returns given these factors 
and the ongoing support of USCS Canada.

Commercial Setting

    Canada is a receptive market to U.S. aerospace goods and services 
and presents an ideal opportunity for the U.S. Commercial Service to 
contribute to the President's National Export Initiative. The United 
States and Canada share the largest and most dynamic commercial 
relationship in the world; U.S. trade with Canada exceeds total U.S. 
trade with the 27 countries of the European Union combined. Canada also 
represents the number one export market for 36 of our 50 states and is 
among the top five export markets for another ten states. The aerospace 
sector is one of CS Canada's best prospects.
    Canada's aerospace industry is the fifth largest in the world; in 
2009 total aerospace sales were US $22.2 billion. The United States is 
Canada's largest supplier of aircraft parts and components; on average, 
Canadian aerospace companies purchased 55% of their inputs from the 
United States. In 2009, U.S.-Canada aerospace bilateral trade exceeded 
$13 billion, and total U.S. aerospace exports to Canada were 
approximately $6 billion. In 2009 Canada was the United States' 6th 
largest aerospace export market, and in many aerospace sub-markets was 
often in the top 5. Industry estimates show an expected recovery of the 
global aerospace industry to begin in 2011 that will positively impact 
Canada's largely commercial aircraft manufacturing sector. Further, 
industry analysts also predict a positive long term growth in 
commercial aircraft production over military aircraft; since Canada's 
aerospace sector is 83% civil, this anticipated trend will bode well 
for U.S. companies wanting to sell to this market. Canada is a world 
leader in business and regional aircraft, commercial helicopters, 
turbine engines, flight simulators, avionics, and a broad range of 
aircraft systems, components and equipment.
    Quebec and Ontario are at the heart of the Canadian aerospace 
industry with about 51% and 29% of local production respectively. 
Montreal is the world's third largest aerospace cluster after Toulouse 
and Seattle, and is the only place in the world where an aircraft can 
be assembled within a 30-mile radius. Montreal is home to renowned 
industry leaders such as Bombardier Aerospace, Bell Helicopter Textron, 
Pratt & Whitney Canada, and CAE. To this exceptional concentration of 
world leaders, we can add other big names such as Rolls-Royce Canada, 
H[eacute]roux Devtek, Messier-Dowty, CMC Electronics--Esterline, Thales 
Canada, and many other suppliers.
    Canada's geographic proximity, open market economy, stable business 
climate and receptivity to U.S. goods and services make it the ideal 
market for contributing to the goals of the Administration pursuant to 
the National Export Initiative. The North American Free Trade Agreement 
(NAFTA) allows for most U.S. products to enter Canada duty-free and 
therefore further contributes to the relatively low-cost, low-risk, 
access that U.S. SMEs can use to prosper and grow in this foreign 
marketplace. Canada is a party to the World Trade Organization 
agreement on trade and civil aircraft.

Mission Goals

    The trade mission's goal is to advance the goals of the 
Administration pursuant to the National Export Initiative by providing 
U.S. suppliers of aerospace products the opportunity to meet with key 
potential customers such as Canadian aerospace OEMs, sales agents and 
distributors and obtain export successes in Canada.

Mission Scenario

    Participants in the mission to Canada will benefit from a full 
range of business facilitation and trade promotion services provided by 
the U.S. Commercial Service in Canada. Participants will receive a 
briefing by a panel of experts on the Canadian, Quebec and Ontario 
aerospace markets, an overview of doing business in Canada, and 
seminars with additional key information for U.S. exporters. It will 
also include one-on-one business meetings between U.S. participants and 
potential Canadian business partners, networking opportunities, and 
tours of some of the largest aerospace OEMs, where companies will have 
the opportunity to meet senior representatives and learn about planned 
projects and expected procurement needs. Please see the timetable below 
with detailed information on the program. Prior to the end of the 
mission, Commercial Service staff will counsel participants on follow-
up.

Timetable

    The proposed schedule allows for three days in Montreal and 
describes the programming we are planning for participating U.S. 
companies.

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Sunday, May 1.....................  Participants arrive in Montreal.
                                    6:00 p.m. No-Host Ice Breaker and No-
                                     Host Dinner.
Monday, May 2.....................  8:00-8:30 Mission welcoming remarks
                                     by Consul General/SCO & Mission
                                     Logistics Briefing.
                                    8:30-9:30 Presentation: Doing
                                     Business in Canada.
                                    9:30-10:30 Presentations: Trends in
                                     the Canadian Aerospace Sector
                                     Panel: Deloitte Touche, AIAC,
                                     Minister of Transport, NRC.
                                    10:30-11:00 Coffee break--
                                     Networking.
                                    11:00-12:30 Presentations: Canada's
                                     Aerospace Market, Quebec's
                                     Aerospace Market, Ontario's
                                     Aerospace Market.
                                    12:30-13:30 Lunch break (on their
                                     own).
                                    14:00-16:00 Seminars: Exporting to
                                     Canada Best Practices; U.S. EXIM
                                     BANK; U.S. Export Controls in
                                     Canada-U.S. Aerospace Trade.
Tuesday, May 3....................  PROGRAM FOR U.S. COMPANIES.
                                    8:30-12:00 Business matchmaking
                                     appointments.
                                    12:00-14:00 General event networking
                                     lunch.
                                    14:00-16:30 Business matchmaking
                                     appointments.
                                    17:30-19:30 General event reception
                                     hosted by CG.

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Wednesday, May 4..................  9:00-15:00 Plant tours of Canadian
                                     aerospace OEMs for U.S. Companies.
                                    16:00-16:30 Mission debriefing at
                                     hotel.
                                    PROGRAM END.
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Participation Requirements

    All parties interested in participating in the U.S. Aerospace Trade 
and Investment Mission must complete and submit an application package 
for consideration by the Department of Commerce.
    All applicants will be evaluated on their ability to meet certain 
conditions and best satisfy the selection criteria as outlined below. 
The mission is designed for a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 20 
companies will be considered for this mission. U.S. companies already 
doing business in the target markets as well as U.S. companies seeking 
to enter these markets for the first time are encouraged to apply.

Fees and Expenses

    After a company has been selected to participate in the mission, a 
participation fee paid to the U.S. Department of Commerce is required. 
The participation fee will be $3,000 for large firms and $2,000 for a 
small or medium-sized enterprise (SME),* with up to two company 
representatives. The fee for a third company representative is $250. 
Expenses for travel, lodging, in-country transportation (except for bus 
transportation to visit local aerospace OEMs on the third day of the 
mission), meals and incidentals will be the responsibility of each 
mission participant.
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    * An SME is defined as a firm with 500 or fewer employees or 
that otherwise qualifies as a small business under SBA regulations 
(see http://www.sba.gov/services/contracting opportunities/
sizestandardstopics/index.html). Parent companies, affiliates, and 
subsidiaries will be considered when determining business size. The 
dual pricing reflects the Commercial Service's user fee schedule 
that became effective May 1, 2008 (see http://www.export.gov/newsletter/march2008/initiatives.html for additional information).
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Conditions for Participation

     An applicant must submit a completed and signed mission 
application and supplemental application materials, including adequate 
information on the company's products and/or services, primary market 
objectives, and goals for participation. If the Department of Commerce 
receives an incomplete application, the Department may reject the 
application, request additional information, or take the lack of 
information into account when evaluating the applications.
     Each applicant must also certify that the products and 
services to be promoted through the mission are either produced in the 
United States or marketed under the name of a U.S. firm and have at 
least 51 percent U.S. content of the value of the finished product or 
service.

Selection Criteria for Participation

    For Companies:
     Suitability of the company's products or services for the 
Canadian aerospace market
     Applicant's potential for business in Canada, including 
the likelihood of exports resulting from the mission
     Consistency of the applicant's goals and objectives with 
the stated scope of the mission
    Diversity of company size, type, location, and demographics and 
traditional underrepresentation in business, may also be considered 
during the review process.
    Referrals from political organizations and any documents containing 
references to partisan political activities (including political 
contributions) will be removed from an applicant's submission and not 
considered during the selection process.

Timeframe for Recruitment and Applications

    Mission recruitment will be conducted in an open and public manner, 
and will commence as soon as the trade mission is approved. Outreach 
will include publication in the Federal Register, posting on the 
Commerce Department trade mission calendar (http://www.ita.doc.gov/doctm/tmcal.html) and other Internet Web sites, press releases to 
general and trade media, direct mail, broadcast fax, notices by 
industry trade associations and other multiplier groups, and publicity 
at industry meetings, symposia, conferences, and trade shows. CS Canada 
intends to conduct a webinar on ``Opportunities in the Canadian 
Aerospace Market'' to supplement recruitment efforts in January/
February 2011.
    Recruitment for the mission will begin immediately and close on 
March 14, 2011. Applications received after March 21, 2011 will be 
considered only if space and scheduling constraints permit. 
Applications will be available online on the mission Web site at: 
http://www.buyusa.gov/Canada.
    Information can also be obtained by contacting the mission contacts 
listed below.
    Contacts: Gina Rebelo Bento, Commercial Specialist--Aerospace, U.S. 
Consulate General in Montreal, PO Box 65 Desjardins Station, Montreal, 
QC H5B 1G1, Tel: 514-908-3660, E-mail: [email protected].

Frank Spector,
Global Trade Programs, U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-308 Filed 1-10-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-FP-P