[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 12 (Wednesday, January 20, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3209-3210]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-929]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


Mission Statement: U.S. Aerospace Business Development Mission to 
Canada, April 14-15, 2010

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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Mission Description

    The United States Department of Commerce's International Trade 
Administration, U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service is organizing a 
U.S. Aerospace Business Development Mission to Montreal, Canada, April 
14-15, 2010. This aerospace mission is designed to provide U.S. 
aerospace export-ready, small to medium-sized companies (SMEs) with a 
highly efficient and cost-effective opportunity to establish profitable 
commercial relations with prospective agents, distributors and end-
users in Canada's aerospace market. Participating U.S. companies will 
receive market intelligence briefings by Canadian industry experts, 
networking opportunities and most importantly, pre-scheduled, pre-
screened one-on-one meetings with Canadian aerospace company 
representatives. Mission participants will also benefit from visiting 
key local aerospace original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and speaking 
with procurement managers about supply chain opportunities. This 
mission is an ideal opportunity for U.S. aerospace companies to gain 
valuable international business experience in a low risk, highly 
important aerospace market.

Commercial Setting

    Canada is a very receptive market to U.S. goods and services and 
presents an ideal opportunity for the U.S. Commercial Service, both in 
the United States and Canada, to broaden and deepen the U.S. exporter 
base and help U.S. SMEs achieve export success. The United States and 
Canada share the largest and most dynamic commercial relationship in 
the world. In 2008, two-way merchandise trade crossing our common 
border with Canada stood at US$596.9 billion, or more than US$1.6 
billion per day as U.S. exports to Canada grew by 5.0 percent. Today, 
U.S. trade with Canada exceeds total U.S. trade with the 27 countries 
of the European Union combined. Canada also represents the number one 
export market for 36 of our 50 States and is among the top five export 
markets for another ten States. The aerospace industry has been 
identified as one of Canada's best prospects.
    In 2008, Canada was the fourth largest export market for U.S. 
aerospace products, generating close to US$7.5 billion in U.S. export 
sales. Canada's aerospace industry is the fifth largest in the world; 
in 2008 total aerospace sales were US$22.6 billion. Industry estimates 
show that the aerospace industry will experience nearly flat growth 
next year, and will begin to pick up more rapidly in 2011. Canada is a 
world leader in the global aerospace industry and a market leader in 
regional aircraft, commercial helicopters, turbine engines, flight 
simulators and a broad range of aircraft systems, components and 
equipment. Quebec is at the heart of the Canadian Aerospace Industry. 
Over 60 percent of all Canadian aerospace production and approximately 
70 percent of Canadian aerospace research and development is performed 
within a 30-mile radius of Montreal. Quebec's aerospace industry alone 
is the sixth largest in the world.
    Montreal is home to renowned industry leaders such as Bombardier 
Aerospace, Bell Helicopter Textron, Pratt & Whitney Canada, and CAE. To 
this exceptional concentration of world leaders, we can add other big 
names such as Rolls-Royce Canada, H[eacute]roux Devtek, Messier-Dowty, 
CMC Electronics--Esterline, Thales, and many other suppliers, mostly 
SMEs, which form a cluster of over 250 aerospace firms.
    Canada's geographic proximity, open market economy, stable business 
climate and receptivity to U.S. goods and services make it the number 
one gateway to the international marketplace for thousands of U.S. 
export-ready SMEs. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), 
which provides U.S. NAFTA qualifying products with duty-free entry into 
Canada, also contributes to the relatively low-cost, low-risk, access 
that U.S. SMEs can use to prosper and grow in the Canadian marketplace.

Mission Goals

    The trade mission's goal is to introduce U.S. suppliers of 
aerospace products to Canadian potential end-users and partners, 
including potential agents, distributors, and licensees, with the aim 
of creating business partnerships that will contribute to increasing 
U.S. exports to the Canadian aerospace market, particularly the 
aircraft and aircraft parts market.

Mission Scenario

    Participants in the mission to Canada will benefit from a full 
range of business facilitation and trade promotion services provided by 
the U.S. Commercial Service in Canada. Participants will receive a 
briefing by a panel of experts on the Canadian aerospace market, as 
well as an overview of the country's economic and political 
environment. The mission will also include one-on-one business meetings 
between U.S. participants and potential Canadian end-users and 
partners, networking opportunities, and tours of some of the largest 
original aerospace manufacturers, where companies will have the 
opportunity to meet senior OEM representatives and learn about planned 
projects and expected procurement needs. Prior to the end of the 
mission, Commercial Service staff will counsel participants on follow-
up.
    CS Canada will work with the following Canadian Aerospace Industry 
multipliers to help provide access mission participants: Quebec 
Ministry of Economic Development, Export and Innovation, Industry 
Canada, the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International 
Trade and the Quebec Aerospace Association.

Proposed Mission Timetable

    The proposed schedule allows for about two full days in Montreal.

 
 
 
Tuesday, April 13, 2009................  Mission members arrive in
                                          Montreal; Welcome Dinner.
Wednesday, April 14, 2009..............  Market briefing; Business
                                          matchmaking; Networking event.
Thursday, April 15, 2009...............  Visits to Canadian aerospace
                                          OEMs and opportunity to meet
                                          with procurement managers;
                                          Debriefing; Departure from
                                          Montreal.
 


[[Page 3210]]

Participation Requirements

    All parties interested in participating in the U.S. Aerospace 
Business Development Mission to Canada must complete and submit an 
application form for consideration by the Department of Commerce. All 
applicants will be evaluated on their ability to satisfy the selection 
criteria as outlined below. A minimum of 10 and maximum of 15 companies 
will be selected on a first come-first served basis.

Fees and Expenses

    After a company has been selected to participate on the mission, a 
participation fee paid to the U.S. Department of Commerce is required. 
The participation fee will be $2,900 for large firms and $2,000 for a 
small or medium-sized enterprise (SME),\1\ for up to two company 
representatives. The fee for more than two company representatives is 
$250 per additional participant. Expenses for travel, lodging, in-
country transportation (except for bus transportation to visit local 
aerospace OEMs on the second day of the mission), meals and incidentals 
will be the responsibility of each mission participant.
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    \1\ 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 
Participation Agreement and a completed Market Interest Questionnaire, 
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 to be promoted through the mission are either produced in the 
United States or 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:
     Suitability of the company's products or services for the 
Canadian aerospace market.
     Applicant's potential for business in Canada, including 
the likelihood of exports resulting from the mission.
     Consistency in 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. 
Outreach will include publication in the Federal Register, posting on 
the Commerce Department trade mission calendar (http://www.ita.doc.gov/doctm/tmcal.html) and other Internet Web sites, press releases to 
general and trade media, direct mail, broadcast fax, notices by 
industry trade associations and other multiplier groups, and publicity 
at industry meetings, symposia, conferences, and trade shows.
    The mission will be open on a first-come, first-served basis. 
Recruitment for the mission will begin immediately and close on 
February 12, 2010. Applications received after February 12, 2010, will 
be considered only if space and scheduling constraints permit. 
Applications will be available online on the mission Web site at: 
http://www.buyusa.gov/Canada.

Contacts

    Gina Bento, Commercial Specialist, U.S. Commercial Service, P.O. 
Box 65 Desjardins Station, Montreal, QC H5B 1G1. Tel: 514-908-3660. E-
mail: [email protected].

Sean Timmins,
Global Trade Programs, Commercial Service Trade Missions Program.
[FR Doc. 2010-929 Filed 1-19-10; 8:45 am]
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