[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 57 (Wednesday, March 25, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14424-14426]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-6996]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration
[Docket No. 980319069-8069-01]


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 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:
Alan Long, 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: AL[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].
Will Center Principal Commercial Officer, 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: WC[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Commercial Center Concept

    U.S. Commercial Centers are enhanced U.S. government export 
promotion facilities that provide, under one roof, expert business 
counseling by frontline Commercial Officers, a proven array of trade 
promotion programs, and 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

[[Page 14425]]

presence in one or more of these countries. 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. 1525 and 4723a. By working with other trade promotion 
organizations, US&FCS seeks to 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, regional and bilateral business 
councils, 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-country. 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 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; and
 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, and 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 at the 
Center. 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.
    The San Paulo Commercial Center has four fully furnished private 
offices (twelve square meters each) for long-term participants. Two of 
these offices are expected to become available in July 1998. The annual 
contribution to participate in this joint project covers use of a 
private office, and common areas--reception area and business 
information center (commercial library). Use of the multipurpose rooms 
and audio visual equipment are available on a 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 
local and regional events, and linking trade policy with trade 
promotion by organizing bilateral roundtables in conjunction 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, 
Foreign Agricultural Service and its Agricutural Trade Office, and the 
U.S.-Asia Environmental Partnership (USAEP). The current economic 
challenges sweeping through Asia make the Jakarta Commercial Center a 
``first-stop'' in country for U.S. companies interested in pursuing 
business opportunities in Indonesia and the region.
    Located in the Jakarta World Trade Center Complex, the Commercial 
Center has available one fully furnished office (twenty-five square 
meters). The annual contribution to participate in this joint project 
covers the use of the private office and common areas--a reception area 
and business information center (commercial library). Use of multi-
purpose rooms and audio visual equipment are available on a user-fee 
basis.
    For short-term use of business facilities, please contact the post 
listed under the FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT 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. Through the Commercial Centers, U.S. state economic 
development offices can open representative offices in China. Maryland, 
Michigan and Washington are among the first states to place 
representatives in the Commercial Center.
    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 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 
reverted to the Mainland in 1997.
    The Shanghai Commercial Center includes six private offices for 
long-term space sharing, two of which are currently available. Offices 
are fully furnished and are either 20.6 square meters or 25.3 meters in 
size. The annual contribution to participate in this joint project 
covers use of private offices and common areas--a reception area and 
business information center (commercial library). Use of the 
multipurpose room and audio visual

[[Page 14426]]

equipment are available on a user-fee basis.
    Please contact the post listed under the FOR MORE INFORMATION 
CONTACT for annual contributions and other Center-specific 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.

Next Steps

    Contact the Commercial Centers directly to propose your use of the 
Commercial Centers on either a long-term or short-term basis. The 
Directors are in the best position to suggest most effective uses of 
the Commercial Center resources to achieve your business goals in-
country. 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, located in 
Washington D.C.
    For general inquiries 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.
Marjory E. Searing,
Acting Assistant Secretary and Director General of the U.S. and Foreign 
Commercial Service.
[FR Doc. 98-6996 Filed 3-24-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-FP-P