[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