[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 14, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2057-2059]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-630]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
Mission Statement; Jordan and Egypt Business Development Mission;
February 14-19, 2009
AGENCY: Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice.
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Mission Description
The United States Department of Commerce, International Trade
Administration, U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service is organizing a
trade mission to Amman, Jordan and Cairo, Egypt, February 14-19, 2009.
The mission will include representatives from U.S. firms offering
equipment and services in a variety of industry sectors, including, but
not limited to, the following: Aerospace, automotive parts,
construction, education and training, energy and power generation,
environmental, food processing, franchising, hotel and restaurant,
medical, oil and gas field machinery, packaging, petrochemical,
pharmaceutical, port development, railroad, real estate development,
security, telecommunications, and water and wastewater treatment. All
U.S. companies are eligible to apply.
Commercial Setting
Jordan
Jordan continues to take steps to transform itself into an outward-
oriented, internationally competitive market-based economy, and has
made considerable progress toward achieving macroeconomic stability and
in implementing economic reform, especially in the areas of
privatization and investment. Key reforms have been undertaken in the
information technology, pharmaceuticals, tourism, and services sectors.
Foreign and domestic investment laws grant specific incentives to
industry, agriculture, hotels, hospitals, transportation, recreation
projects, convention centers, and pipeline distribution of water, gas,
and oil. Having worked closely with the International Monetary Fund and
practiced careful monetary policy, Jordan now stands out in its region
as a model of sound investor-friendly economic policy.
Jordan's government liberalized its trade regime to guarantee its
membership in the World Trade Organization (April 2000), and the U.S.-
Jordan Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which entered into enforcement
December 2001, will eliminate virtually all trade barriers between the
two countries over a period of 10 years, heightening advantages for
U.S. exporters as tariff rates fall year-by-year. Jordan and the United
States have also concluded a treaty to protect bilateral investment.
The Jordanian market has enjoyed two years of gross domestic
product (GDP) growth averaging 7 percent and is expected to see
continued expansion. Reforms to customs, taxation, and investment laws
have improved the business climate. Investors continue to show interest
in Jordan's Qualifying Industrial Zones (QIZs), duty-free export
portals that, since 1999, have attracted over $450 million in capital
investments and created more than 55,000 new jobs, of which about
15,000 are held by Jordanians--57 percent by Jordanian women. Jordanian
imports from the United States reached $857 million in 2007, a 31.8
percent increase over the previous year. Important market opportunities
exist for U.S. firms in a variety of sectors, and there are niche
markets for pharmaceuticals, laboratory equipment, real estate
management services, and renewable energy, among others.
Egypt
At 78.8 million, Egypt is by far the largest Arab country by
population and has a reasonably well-educated labor force. Egypt's
economy, traditionally associated with agriculture, has become
increasingly diversified. While tourism is its single largest foreign
exchange earner, Egypt is also a major oil and gas producer, ranking
among the world's top ten gas exporters. The clothing and textile
sector is the largest industrial employer and a major foreign exchange
earner. Other leading industries include steel, cement, chemicals,
pharmaceuticals, and light consumer goods. Agriculture, although
shrinking as a percentage of GDP, still employs almost 30 percent of
the population.
Egypt's economy has improved considerably since 2005, due mainly to
a new reformist government that has successfully floated the Egyptian
pound, eliminated foreign exchange shortages along with the black
market, reduced tariffs and simplified the tariff structure, moved to
reform the financial sector, introduced measures to simplify the tax
structure while lowering rates, and reduced the red tape necessary to
conduct business. Supported by sustained reforms, Egypt's economy
marked a year of impressive performance in 2007, receiving record
foreign investment (FDI), along with official reserves exceeding $30
billion. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 7.1 percent, and is
expected to expand at a similar rate in 2008. Most of the FDI has gone
into construction and manufacturing, resulting in lower unemployment.
The government has also inked agreements with China, Jordan, Russia,
Turkey and Qatar to construct industrial zones. Receipts from the Suez
Canal and tourism brought in more than $11 billion in the first three
quarters of last year. The Egyptian stock market has been one of the
best performers in the region.
Egypt's government is putting in place an institutional framework
for private-public partnerships (PPPs). PPP projects
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in the pipeline include building and maintaining 2,100 public schools,
four hospitals, several potable and wastewater stations, and two
freeways. Unmet demand for housing construction is estimated to be
200,000 units annually. Telecommunications is another bright spot in
the economy. Mobile penetration rates by three mobile operators stand
at 28 million, or about 35 percent of the population. The government is
expected to grant a second fixed-line license in 2008. Other
significant sectors of interest to U.S. companies include steel,
cement, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and light consumer goods. In
addition, tourism, employing more than 10 percent of Egyptian workers,
continues to offer strong possibilities, as expansion of Red Sea
resorts and new development along the Mediterranean drive demand for
hotel equipment and environmental management services. Airports and
other infrastructure projects being built to serve the new resorts
represent additional opportunities for U.S. firms offering project
management and building systems and equipment.
Mission Goals
The mission will assist representatives of American companies
responsible for business activity in the Middle East and North Africa
(MENA) with their efforts to identify profitable opportunities and new
markets for their respective U.S. companies and to increase their
export potential. The mission will actively market and recruit New-to-
Export (NTE) and New-to-Market (NTM) firms. Results expected from the
mission include matches between U.S. participants and potential
partners, agents and distributors, and joint venture partners; and
market knowledge for future expansion.
Mission Scenario
The mission will include commercial briefings, matchmaking
appointments with local firms, and networking receptions in Amman,
Jordan and Cairo, Egypt. Activities are scheduled to take place within
a single work week, beginning Sunday in Jordan and ending Thursday in
Egypt.
Proposed Mission Timetable
The precise schedule will depend on the availability of local
government and business officials and the specific goals of the mission
participants. The tentative trip itinerary will be as follows:
Saturday, February 14, 2009
--Arrive Amman, Jordan
--Ice Breaker Reception
Sunday, February 15, 2009
--Commercial Briefing
--Networking Lunch
--Matchmaking Meetings
Monday, February 16, 2009
--Matchmaking Meetings at the hotel
--Mission Networking Reception
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
--Depart Amman, Jordan
--Arrive in Cairo, Egypt
--Ice Breaker Reception
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
--Commercial Briefing
--Networking Lunch
--Matchmaking Meetings
Thursday, February 19, 2009
--Matchmaking Meetings at the hotel
--Networking Lunch/Mission Wrap-Up
Criteria for Participation and Selection
All parties interested in participating in the Jordan and Egypt
Business Development Mission 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 minimum of 5 and a
maximum of 15 companies will be selected to participate in the mission
from the applicant pool. U.S. companies already doing business in the
MENA region, as well as U.S. companies seeking to enter the region 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 $3,000 for a small or
medium-sized enterprise (SME) \*\ and $3,575 for large firms. The fee
for each additional firm representative (SME or large firm) is $300.
Expenses for travel, lodging, most meals, and incidentals will be the
responsibility of each mission participant. Delegation members will be
able to take advantage of Embassy rates for hotel rooms.
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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 (for additional information see
http://www.export.gov/newsletter/march2008/initiatives.html).
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Eligibility: Participating companies must be incorporated or
otherwise organized in the United States.
Conditions for participation:
An applicant must submit a completed and signed
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:
Selection will be based on the following criteria:
Suitability of the company's products or services to the
Jordan and Egypt markets.
Applicant's potential for business in Jordan and Egypt,
including likelihood of exports resulting from the mission.
Consistency of the applicant's goals and objectives with
the stated scope of the mission. 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.
Timeframe for Recruitment and Applications
Mission recruitment will be conducted in an open and public manner,
including posting on the Commerce Department trade missions' calendar--
http://www.ita.doc.gov/doctm/tmcal.html--and other Internet Web sites,
publication in domestic trade publications and association newsletters,
direct outreach, and announcements at industry meetings, symposia,
conferences, and trade shows. The mission will also be promoted by the
ITA ANESA Team members in U.S. Export Assistance Centers.
Recruitment for the mission will begin immediately and conclude no
later than January 14, 2009. The mission will open on a first come
first served basis. Applications received after January 14, 2009 will
be considered only if space and scheduling constraints permit.
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Contact Information
Sheryl Maas, Commercial Counselor, U.S. Commercial Service,
American Embassy--Amman, Phone: (962) (6) 590-6632, E-mail:
[email protected] and [email protected].
Cherine Maher, Commercial Specialist, U.S. Embassy Cairo,
Telephone: +20 (2) 2797-2688/2689, E-mail: [email protected] or
[email protected].
Nyamusi K. Igambi, Senior International Trade Specialist, Houston
U.S. Export Assistance Center, Phone: 713-209-3112, E-mail:
[email protected].
Dated: January 7, 2009.
Nyamusi Igambi,
Senior International Trade Specialist, U.S. Department of Commerce,
Houston, TX 77002.
[FR Doc. E9-630 Filed 1-13-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P