[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 193 (Friday, October 3, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57606-57608]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-23412]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


Notice and Call for Applications for Trade Mission to Warsaw, 
Poland in Conjunction With Trade Winds Forum Europe, April 19-22, 2009

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice and Call for Applications for the Trade Mission to 
Warsaw, Poland in conjunction with Trade Winds Forum Europe, April 19-
22, 2009.

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I. Mission Description

    The United States Department of Commerce, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service is organizing a 
trade mission to Warsaw, Poland, April 22, 2009, in conjunction with 
the Trade Winds Europe Business Development Forum in Warsaw, Poland, 
April 19-21, 2009.
    The 2009 Trade Winds Forum Europe will include general conference 
sessions on pan-European business issues and pre-arranged consultations 
with Senior Commercial Officers from U.S. Embassies throughout Europe. 
The Trade Mission to Poland will add another dimension to the event by 
providing clients with the opportunity to conduct business to business 
meeting with firms in Poland. It will be open to U.S. companies from a 
cross section of industries with growing potential in Poland, 
including, but not limited to, best prospects such as energy (mining, 
oil and gas, electric power generation, renewable), defense and 
aerospace, telecommunications and information technology, environmental 
technologies, medical equipment, safety and security equipment, 
automotive parts and service equipment, and logistics and 
transportation.
    The combination of the Trade Winds Forum Europe conference and the 
multi-sector trade mission in Poland will provide participants with 
substantive knowledge and strategies for entering or expanding their 
business in the European market and Poland specifically.

II. Commercial Setting

    Europe: Together, the United States and Europe account for more 
than 40 percent of the global economy and transact more than $1.5 
trillion per year in trade and investment. Europe is often among the 
first export markets for U.S. companies. When businesses look to 
Europe, they are looking to opportunities unparalleled in any other 
region. Europe is much broader than the 27-member European Union (EU), 
and opportunities are abundant. For example, the European Economic Area 
and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries have 
harmonized many of their regulations with the European Union. The EFTA 
countries (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland), though 
small in population, are among the wealthiest in the world on a per 
capita basis.
    The introduction in many EU member states of a common currency, the 
euro, and mutual recognition of standards has

[[Page 57607]]

made the European market both more competitive and more open. While the 
European market for U.S. goods and services is truly a single market 
for some items, it is still fragmented along country, language, 
cultural, or regional lines for others. With the ongoing consolidation 
of distribution channels and retailers, marketing for many goods can 
now be done with a pan-European perspective. However, for other items--
particularly specialty products--the retail outlets, distributors and 
end-users are still local, and the best coverage for such markets will 
likely be on a regional basis that might even divide Europe's larger 
countries into more than one market.
    Poland constitutes a market of 38 million people located in the 
heart of central Europe. It has become a fully integrated member of the 
EU since its May 2004 accession, adhering to common economic, 
structural and commercial policies, including adoption of the common 
external tariff regime. The United States and Poland enjoy an 
extraordinarily close relationship that has fostered strategic and 
commercial cooperation. There are abundant opportunities for U.S. firms 
in Poland, given the country's rapid economic growth, the size and 
location of the market, the access it affords to the larger EU market, 
and the strong affinity Poles have for the United States.
    Poland's economy grew at a rate in excess of 6.5% in 2007 and is 
projected to grow by at least 5% in 2008. It has enjoyed 17 straight 
years of economic expansion, fueled by high export output, individual 
consumption, and increased business investment, including new foreign 
direct investment totaling approximately $15 billion in 2007. The 
United States claims roughly 3% of Poland's import market. Trade volume 
is expected to continue increasing due to the depreciated U.S. dollar, 
increased domestic demand, and overall affinity for U.S. products. 
Excellent opportunities exist for U.S. exporters in a range of sectors, 
particularly in the above-cited best prospects areas.

III. Mission Goals

    The goal of the mission is to help the U.S. companies find 
potential partners, agents, distributors, and joint venture partners in 
the Polish market, laying the foundation for successful long-term 
ventures. The delegation will have access to Senior Commercial Officers 
during the mission, learn about the expansive business opportunities in 
Poland, and gain first-hand market exposure. U.S. delegation members 
already doing buisness in Poland will have opportunities to further 
advance business relationships and transactions in that market.

IV. Mission Scenario

    The mission will include pre-screened, individual appointments with 
potential business partners; industry/country market briefings; 
logistical support; networking opportunities with leading industry and 
government officials; and full conference registration for the Trade 
Winds Forum Europe, April 19-21, 2009, including conference materials 
and admission to all conference sessions and networking events.
    U.S. delegation members will arrive in Warsaw on or before April 
19, 2009, to attend the opening ceremony of the Trade Winds Forum 
Europe. The final day of the Forum, April 21, 2009, will be devoted to 
market briefings and consultations with Europe-based Senior Commercial 
Officers. On April 22, 2009, mission participants will take part in the 
business-to-business meetings with Polish firms, and the mission will 
conclude with a networking reception hosted by the Senior Commercial 
Officer based in the U.S. Embassy in Poland.

V. Mission Timetable

    April 19, 2009 Arrive Warsaw, Trade Winds Forum Europe registration 
Welcome reception.
    April 20, 2009 Trade Winds Forum Europe--Conference sessions.
    April 21, 2009 Trade Winds Forum Europe, Briefings and 
Consultations with Senior Commercial Officers Forum concludes.
    April 22, 2009 Trade Mission takes place, featuring one-on-one 
business appointments with pre-screened, private-sector Polish 
companies.

VI. Participation Requirements

    All parties interested in participating in the Commercial Service 
Trade Mission to Poland must complete and submit an application package 
for consideration by the Department of Commerce. All applicants will be 
evaluated on their ability to meet certain conditions and best satisfy 
the selection criteria as outlined below. A maximum of 50 companies 
will be selected to participate in the mission from the applicant pool. 
U.S. companies already doing business with Poland as well as U.S. 
companies seeking to enter Poland for the first time may apply.

Fees and Expenses

    After a company has been selected to participate on the mission, a 
payment to the Department of Commerce in the form of a participation 
fee is required. The participation fee will be $1,650 for a small or 
medium-sized enterprise (SME) \*\ and $2,850 for large firms. This fee 
includes the Trade Winds Forum Europe conference registration fee of 
$650. The fee for each additional firm representative (large firm or 
SME) participating in the mission is $650. Expenses for travel, 
lodging, most meals, and incidentals will be the responsibility of each 
mission participant.
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    \*\ An SME is defined as a firm with 500 or fewer employees or 
that otherwise qualifies as a small business under SBA regulations 
(see http://www.sba.gov/services/contracting opportunities/
sizestandardstopics/index.html). Parent companies, affiliates, and 
subsidiaries will be considered when determining business size. The 
dual pricing reflects the Commercial Service's user fee schedule 
that became effective May 1, 2008 (see http://www.export.gov/newsletter/march2008/initiatives.html for additional information).
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Conditions for Participation

     An applicant must submit a completed and signed mission 
application and supplemental application materials, including adequate 
information on the company's products and/or services, primary market 
objectives, and goals for participation. If the Department of Commerce 
receives an incomplete application, the Department may reject the 
application, request additional information, or take the lack of 
information into account when evaluating the applications.
     Each applicant must also certify that the products and 
services it seeks to export through the mission are either produced in 
the United States, or, if not, marketed under the name of a U.S. firm 
and have at least 51 percent U.S. content of the value of the finished 
product or service.
    Selection Criteria for Participation: Selection will be based on 
the following criteria:
     Relevance of a company's business line to mission goals.
     Company's potential for business in Poland.
    Referrals from political organizations and any documents containing 
references to partisan political activities (including political 
contributions) will be removed from an applicant's submission and not 
considered during the selection process.

VII. Timeframe for Recruitment and Applications

    Mission recruitment will be conducted in an open and public manner, 
including publication in the Federal Register, posting on the Commerce 
Department trade mission

[[Page 57608]]

calendar--http://www.ita.doc.gov/doctm/tmcal.html--and other Internet 
web sites, press releases to the general and trade media, direct mail 
and broadcast fax, notices by industry trade associations and other 
multiplier groups, and announcements at industry meetings, symposia, 
conferences, and trade shows. Recruitment for the mission will begin 
September 1, 2008, and conclude no later than January 30, 2009. The 
mission will open on a first come first served basis. Applications 
received after January 30, 2009, will be considered only if space and 
scheduling constraints permit.

U.S. Contact Information: Bill Burwell, Director, Mid-Atlantic Network, 
U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Export Assistance Center--Baltimore, 
[email protected], Tel: 410-962-3097--Cell: 443-271-8796, Fax: 
410-962-4529.
Debora Sykes, ITS, Mid-Atlantic Network, U.S. Department of Commerce, 
U.S. Export Assistant Center--Trenton, [email protected], Tel: 
856-722-1032--Cell: 609-571-7525, Fax: 856-722-0716.
Poland Contact Information: John McCaslin, Commercial Counselor, U.S. 
Commercial Service, U.S. Embassy--Warsaw, Poland, Tel: 48-22-625-4374, 
Fax: 48-22-621-6327, [email protected].

    Dated: September 29, 2008.
Bill Burwell,
Director, Mid-Atlantic Network, U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. 
Export Assistance Center--Baltimore, U.S. Department of Commerce.
[FR Doc. E8-23412 Filed 10-2-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P