[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 100 (Friday, May 23, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28447-28448]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-13662]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


Business Development Mission to Belfast and Londonderry (Derry), 
Northern Ireland, October 13-17, 1997

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice serves to inform the public of a trade and 
investment mission to Belfast and Londonderry, Northern Ireland to be 
held October 13-17, 1997; 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 applications. 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 July 30, 1997. The Mission is 
scheduled for October 13-17, 1997. Applications received after that 
date will be considered only if space and scheduling constraints 
permit.

ADDRESSES: Requests for and submission of applications: Applications 
are available from Virginia Manuel, Senior Advisor and Project Manager, 
U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th and Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room 
3868, telephone: 202-482-5853 and facsimile: 202-482-5444, Washington, 
D.C. 20230. An original and two copies of the required application 
materials should be sent to the Project Manager at the above address. 
Applications sent by facsimile must be immediately followed by 
submission of the original application.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Mission Description

    The U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration 
(ITA) will organize a business development mission to Northern Ireland 
(NI), October 13-17, 1997. The delegation, which will be led by a 
senior Departmental official, will be comprised

[[Page 28448]]

of 10-15 U.S. company executives from three industry sectors: 
electronics, environmental technologies, and medical technologies.
    The business purpose of the mission is the promotion of U.S. trade 
and investment interests in Northern Ireland, and in the European 
Union. The present state of the Northern Ireland economy and the ready 
access to the $7.8 trillion European market provides strong and growing 
markets for U.S. products and services.
    The itinerary of the mission will include stops in Belfast and 
Londonderry (Derry), the largest and second largest cities, 
respectively, and the two major industrial centers in Northern Ireland.
    The private sector participants will be offered: (1) One-on-one 
pre-screened business appointments; (2) expert market briefings with 
senior U.K. (Northern Ireland) Government officials and development 
authorities; (3) site visits to U.S. companies operating in Northern 
Ireland; and, (4) logistical support, transportation in Belfast and 
Londonderry, and ground tours of the two cities.

Mission Goals

    The goals of the mission are to increase U.S. exports and to 
promote trade and investment in Northern Ireland through strategic 
alliances, joint ventures, and other partnerships between U.S. and 
Northern Ireland companies.

Participation Criteria

    A maximum of 15 companies will be selected to participate in the 
mission. Participants must fall into one of the three sectors of 
environmental technologies, medical technologies, and electronics 
identified for the mission, and must be U.S. companies providing U.S. 
origin goods and/or services that are export-ready. Participant 
executives ideally will be at the level of president or vice president. 
Each firm participating in this mission will have been recruited by 
U.S. DOC in Washington and reviewed by our U.S. Embassy in London, our 
commercial representative in Belfast, and Northern Ireland's Industrial 
Development Board (IDB) for: (1) Consistency of the company's goals 
with the scope, nature and desired outcome of the mission (as described 
herein); (2) relevance of the company's sector to the mission; (3) 
past, present, or prospective business activity in the U.K., Ireland, 
or Europe; (4) diversity of company size, type, location, demographics 
and traditional under-representation in business; and, (5) timeliness 
of completed application by company (including payment of participation 
fee).
    An applicant's partisan political activities (including political 
contributions) are entirely irrelevant to selection of mission 
participants.

Endorsements/Referrals

    Third parties may nominate or endorse potential applicants, but 
companies that are nominated or endorsed must themselves submit an 
application in order to be eligible for consideration. Referrals from 
political organizations will not be considered.

Costs

    The fee to participate in the mission is $1800. The participation 
fee does not cover the participant's travel, lodging or other personal 
expenses.

    Authority: 15 U.S.C. 1512.

    Dated: May 19, 1997.
Franklin Vargo,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Market Access and Compliance, 
International Trade Administration.
[FR Doc. 97-13662 Filed 5-22-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DA-P