[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 236 (Thursday, December 9, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71398-71399]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-3588]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


U.S. Microelectronics Trade Mission

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice to U.S. Microelectronics Trade Mission to Shanghai, 
China, March 14-17, 2005.

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SUMMARY: The United States Department of Commerce, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. Commercial Service, Office of Global Trade 
Programs is organizing a microelectronics trade mission to China, March 
14-17, 2005. This trade mission will take place during the renowned 
annual Shanghai exhibition Electronica and Productronica China 2005--
co-located with SEMICON China. Participating firms will not only have 
pre-arranged one-on-one meetings scheduled for them by the U.S. 
Commercial Service in Shanghai, but will also have the opportunity to 
make additional business contacts at the exhibition. A similar 
microelectronics mission took place in March 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of Global Trade Programs; Room 
2012; Department of Commerce; Washington, DC 20230; Tel: (202) 482-
4457; Fax: (202) 482-0178.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: U.S. Microelectronics Trade Mission, 
Shanghai, China, March 14-17, 2005.

Mission Statement

I. Description Of The Mission

    The United States Department of Commerce, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. Commercial Service, Office of Global Trade 
Programs is organizing a microelectronics trade mission to China, March 
14-17, 2005. This trade mission will take place during the renowned 
annual Shanghai exhibition Electronica and Productronica China 2005--
co-located with SEMICON China. Participating firms will not only have 
pre-arranged one-on-one meetings scheduled for

[[Page 71399]]

them by the U.S. Commercial Service in Shanghai, but will also have the 
opportunity to make additional business contacts at the exhibition. A 
similar microelectronics mission took place in March 2004.
    Trade mission participants will include representatives from U.S. 
firms specializing in microelectronics design, manufacturing, and 
distribution, including semiconductor devices, integrated circuit 
design services, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, clean room 
equipment, and electronics packaging/interconnects.

II. Commercial Setting for the Mission

    Microelectronics design, manufacturing, and distribution make the 
foundation for the rapid growth of e-commerce, web-enabled 
technologies, and wireless technologies that will be the major business 
prospects in the 21st century in Asia. Representing one of the largest 
and fastest growing information technology (IT) markets in the world, 
China's electronics sector and IT industry are expected to grow at an 
annual rate of 25 percent. The Chinese Government is strongly committed 
to the development of a domestic microelectronics industry to enable 
the adoption of IT nationwide and to improve economic productivity. 
China's tenth Five-Year Plan (2001-2005) addresses the development of 
the country's information industry (including microelectronics). These 
development trends indicate that China is emerging as a new and strong 
production base for electronic and IT products in Asia. With this rapid 
growth in the IT sector, China is forced to build its strong 
microelectronics industry primarily on imports and investment from 
foreign suppliers. Shanghai, Beijing, and Hong Kong are among the 
cities that lead China's IT industry growth.

III. Goals for the Mission

    The goal is to assist U.S. microelectronics industry's small- to 
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in attaining their export business 
objectives in the Chinese market through participation in this trade 
mission, which will be centered around a major exhibition. Mission 
participants will gain first-hand market exposure; meet with government 
decision makers and potential agents, distributors, and business 
partners from the private sector; and obtain information that will help 
them position themselves to take advantage of the strong business 
opportunities in China's microelectronics market.

IV. Scenario for the Mission

    The mission will focus primarily on Shanghai. The schedule includes 
site visits, and briefings by the U.S. and Chinese governments. The 
purpose of the site visits will be to provide a broad vision of the 
Chinese electronics/semiconductor industry, which will help the 
participants to better understand the Chinese market. China government 
briefings will bring the participants into the government's presence 
and acquaint them with trade opportunities available to them from the 
Chinese government's perspective. A SEMICON forum, which all of the 
participants will be invited to attend, will also be on the agenda. The 
dates of the trade exhibition are March 15-17. The U.S. Commercial 
Service in Shanghai will set aside time for pre-arranged individual 
business meetings for the mission participants. In addition, the 
participants will have the opportunity to conduct business with 
exhibitors at the show, as well as display company literature in a 
booth at the exhibition. No other types of exhibition items may be 
displayed. A hospitality reception for the participants will be held 
the evening of March 17.

Timetable

Saturday, March 12--Arrive Shanghai (optional); activities open
Sunday, March 13--Arrive Shanghai (optional); activities open
Monday, March 14--Breakfast briefing for participants with Commercial 
Service Shanghai staff; High-tech industry park meetings and/or site 
tours
Tuesday, March 15--SEMI association market briefing in morning; Attend 
exhibition in afternoon
Wednesday, March 16--Meeting with Shanghai government authorities and/
or site visits in morning; Attend exhibition in afternoon
Thursday, March 17--Individual one-on-one meetings; Hospitality 
reception in evening
Friday, March 18--Participants may wish to have follow-up business 
visits/appointments, or depart for the U.S.
Saturday, March 19--Participants will depart for the United States

V. Criteria for Participant Selection

     Relevance of the company's business line to mission's 
scope and goals;
     Potential for business in the China market;
     Timeliness of the company's signed and completed 
application and participation agreement, and payment of the mission 
participation fee of $2,250 for the first company representative, and 
$500 each for additional representatives;
     Provision of adequate information on the company's 
products and/or services and communication of the company's primary 
objectives to facilitate appropriate matching with potential business 
partners;
     Certification that the company meets Departmental 
guidelines for participation, including certification that the 
company's products and/or services are manufactured or produced in the 
United States or if manufactured/produced outside the of the United 
States, the product/services must be marketed under the name of the 
U.S. firm and have U.S. content of at least fifty-one percent of the 
value of the finished good or service.
    A minimum of eight and a maximum of twenty participating companies 
will be recruited in an open and public manner, including publication 
in the Federal Register; posting on the Internet; press releases to 
general and trade media; direct mail and broadcast fax; and notices by 
industry trade associations and other multiplier groups, and at 
industry meetings, symposiums, conferences, and trade shows.
    Any partisan political activities (including political 
contributions) of an applicant are entirely irrelevant to the selection 
process. The $2,250 trade mission participation fee does not include 
the cost of travel, lodging and meals. Recruitment will begin 
immediately and will close on January 21, 2005.

Contact

    Ms. Marlene Ruffin, Global Trade Programs, U.S. & Foreign 
Commercial Service, Room 2107, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, 
DC 20230, Phone: (202) 482-0570; Fax: (202) 482-0115; e-mail: 
[email protected].

    Dated: December 2, 2004.
Nancy Hesser,
Industry Sector Manager, Office of Trade Event Programs.
[FR Doc. E4-3588 Filed 12-8-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-P