[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 232 (Monday, December 2, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63828-63830]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-30226]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

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 three of the world's most 
promising Big Emerging Markets: 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:

John Steuber, 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: JS[email protected]
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, 
J[email protected]
Amy Chang, Director, 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: AC[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Commerical Center Concept: U.S. Commercial 
Centers are enhanced U.S. government export promotion programs that 
provide, under one roof, expert business counseling by frontline 
Commercial Officers, a winning collection of core trade promotion 
programs, and an impressive array of world class, 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 
presence in one or more of these Big Emerging Markets. 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. Secs. 1525 and 4723a. Through joint projects, 
nonprofit trade promotion organizations can 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, 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-county. 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

[[Page 63829]]

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;
     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, 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 there. 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.
    In February 1997, the San Paulo Commercial Center will have four 
private offices for long-term participants. Each fully furnished office 
is twelve square meters and the annual contribution to participate in 
this joint project is $15,000, which covers use of a private office, 
common areas--reception area and business information center 
(commercial library). Use of the multipurpose rooms and audio visual 
equipment are available on a nominal 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 
regional events, particularly those tied to the Alliance for Mutual 
Growth, a Clinton Administration initiative to promote trade with the 
member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The 
Jakarta Commercial Center has helped link trade policy with trade 
promotion by organizing policy roundtables 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, and the 
Foreign Agricultural Service, which plans to establish its Agricultural 
Trade Office within the Commercial Center this year.
    Located in the Jakarta World Trade Center Complex, the Commercial 
Center will have one newly renovated, fully equipped office in March 
1997. The annual contribution of $12,000 for participating in this 
joint project covers the use of a private office and common areas--
reception area and Business Information Center (Commercial Library). 
Use of multi-purpose rooms and audio visual equipment are available on 
a nominal user-fee basis.
    For short-term use of business facilities, please contact the post 
listed under the ``For More Information'' 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. For the first time, U.S. state economic development 
offices, operating under the aegis of the Commercial Center, can open a 
representative office in China.
    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 booming 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 reverts 
to the Mainland in 1997.
    The Shanghai Commercial Center includes six private offices for 
long-term space sharing. The US&FCS and several prospective 
participants are in the final stages of concluding the joint project 
agreements for the majority of these offices. Each fully furnished 
office is 130 square feet and the annual contribution to participate in 
this joint project is $40,000. Please contact the post listed under the 
``For More 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.
    Submitting Proposal(s): Send your written proposals to use the 
Commercial Centers--on either a long-term or short-term basis--to the 
Commercial Center Director(s) for review. The Directors are in the best 
position to suggest best uses of the Commercial Center and the 
viability of the proposals. Long-term participants are asked to fax or 
mail a synopsis (three pages maximum) of market development plan(s) to 
the Director(s) of the Commercial Center listed above for review. 
Synopsis of

[[Page 63830]]

market development plan must address four items: 1) plans to assist 
U.S. companies, particularly small- and medium-size enterprises, do 
business in the host country; 2) the role the Commercial Center can 
play in the plan; 3) measurable goals, 4) a statement indicating a 
willingness to share performance results, such as success stories; and 
5) a timetable of milestones.
    Companies and organizations who seek to use the Commercial Centers 
on a short-term basis are asked to send or fax a letter to the 
Director(s) of the Commercial Center outlining how the Commercial 
Center can help them fulfill their business goals.
    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 in January.
    For general inquires 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.
Dolores F. Harrod,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Operations.
[FR Doc. 96-30226 Filed 11-29-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-FP-M