[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 114 (Wednesday, June 13, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35353-35355]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-14452]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


Biotech Life Sciences Trade Mission to Australia

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, 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 (CS) is organizing 
a Biotech Life Sciences trade mission to Australia, October 29-November 
2, 2012. The mission to Australia is intended to include 
representatives from a variety of U.S. biotechnology and life science 
firms. The goals of the trade mission to Australia are to (1) increase 
U.S. exports to Australia, (2) introduce U.S. participants to potential 
strategic partners, (3) introduce U.S. participants to industry and 
government officials in Australia to learn about various opportunities, 
and (4) to educate the participants about trade policy and regulatory 
matters involved in doing business in Australia. Participating in an 
official U.S. industry delegation, rather than traveling to Australia 
independently, will increase the participants' profile and enhance the 
ability to secure meetings in Australia. The mission will include site 
visit(s) to prominent biotech organizations, government meetings, and 
briefings and receptions during the AusBiotech National Conference in 
Melbourne, Australia. Trade mission participants will have the 
opportunity to interact with CS staff to discuss industry developments, 
opportunities, and sales strategies.

Commercial Setting

    U.S. biotech and life science firms consider Australia a harbor, 
with strong intellectual property rights protection and enforcement, 
and a transitional market that is strategically positioned to serve as 
a gateway to Asian markets. Australia is the leading biotechnology hub 
of the Asia-Pacific, with over 1,000 biotechnology companies, and 
clinical trials that meet the requirements under EU and FDA 
regulations. The Australian biotechnology sector covers human 
therapeutics, industrial applications, the agriculture sector, food 
technology, medical devices and diagnostics, and clean tech. 
Australia's consumer base and impressive economic strength further 
reinforce the importance of the market for U.S. firms.
    Australia's US$11.39 billion pharmaceutical market is among the 
five largest in the Asia-Pacific region. Australia also has the 
region's second highest annual spending on medicine, after Japan. Much 
of this spending is on patented drugs, which account for 67% of the 
total pharmaceutical expenditure. Australia remains attractive to 
pharmaceutical firms--per-capita healthcare spending is high (US$5,077) 
and the regulatory regime is comparable to those in other developed 
countries. According to UN Comtrade, Australia imported finished 
medicine worth US$7.1 billion in 2010. Additionally, the current U.S. 
dollar-Australian dollar exchange rate is advantageous for U.S. product 
and services exports to Australia.
    The AusBiotech National Conference is a venue that attracts not 
only biotech companies in the medical sector, but also in the 
diagnostics, agriculture, industrial and environmental biotech 
segments. The annual event has earned a reputation as the industry's 
premier biotechnology conference for the Asia Pacific region and has 
proved its relevance to the Australian and international biotechnology 
industries, attracting more than 1,100 participants including 233 
international participants from 20 countries. This program presents an 
opportunity for the entire gamut of U.S. biotech companies looking to 
sell into Australia and spring board into Asia.
    A U.S. Department of Commerce-led trade mission offers an 
attractive entr[eacute]e for U.S. firms in the Australian market.

Mission Goals

    The goals of the trade mission to Australia are to (1) increase 
U.S. exports

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to Australia, (2) introduce U.S. participants to potential strategic 
partners, (3) introduce U.S. participants to industry and government 
officials in Australia to learn about various opportunities, and (4) to 
educate the participants about trade policy and regulatory matters 
involved in doing business in Australia.

Mission Scenario

    In Melbourne, the U.S. mission members will be briefed by 
International Trade Administration CS staff, and other key U.S. 
government officials. Senior American Consulate officials will host a 
networking event for the group with Australian biotech and life science 
industry organizations and multipliers. During the mission, U.S. 
participants will benefit from attending the AusBiotech National 
Conference, customized one-on-one matchmaking with potential partners 
using the biopartnering.com platform, an efficient and easy to use 
personalized intelligent scheduling internet platform that facilitates 
scheduling appointments to connect with key people. And, receive a 
market briefing by the International Trade Administration Commercial 
Specialist for the biotech life science sector at the American 
Consulate, and networking activities. A site visit to Australia's top 
biotech company and/or leading research institution will be offered.
    Participation in the mission will include the following:
     Pre-travel briefings/webinar on the Australian market and 
doing business in Australia;
     Pre-scheduled meetings with potential partners in 
Australia via the biopartnering.com platform;
     Transportation to a site visit to Australia's top biotech 
company and/or leading research institution;
     Meetings with Australian government officials;
     Participation in AusBiotech National Conference;
     Participation in the U.S. Pavilion at the BioIndustry 
Exhibition at AusBiotech;
     Participation in industry networking events in Melbourne;
     Meetings with International Trade Administration CS 
Australia's life science industry specialist.

Proposed Timetable

    Mission participants will be encouraged to arrive October 28 or 29, 
2012 and the mission program will proceed from October 29 through 
November 2, 2012.

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October 29.......................................................  Melbourne
                                                                      Arrive Melbourne.
                                                                      Day at leisure.
                                                                      Early evening no-host group dinner
October 30.......................................................  Melbourne.
                                                                      Australia market breakfast briefing.
                                                                      Site visit.
                                                                      Networking luncheon and Australian
                                                                       biotechnology briefing.
                                                                      Evening reception.
October 31.......................................................  Melbourne
                                                                      AusBiotech National Conference 2012.\1\
                                                                      BioPartnering business matchmaking
                                                                       appointments.
                                                                      Conference evening welcome reception.
November 1.......................................................  Melbourne
                                                                      AusBiotech National Conference 2012
                                                                       BioPartnering business matchmaking
                                                                       appointments.
                                                                      Conference evening dinner.
November 2.......................................................  Melbourne
                                                                      AusBiotech National Conference 2012.
                                                                      BioPartnering business matchmaking
                                                                       appointments.
                                                                      Conference Closing Reception.
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\1\ AusBiotech National Conference fee and conference evening dinner on November 1 are included in the mission
  participation fee.

Participation Requirements

    All parties interested in participating in the Biotech Life 
Sciences Trade Mission to Australia must complete and submit an 
application 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 10 and a maximum of 12 participants will be selected for the 
mission from the applicant pool. U.S. companies already involved with 
and/or doing business in Australia as well as U.S. companies seeking 
exposure to the market for the first time are encouraged to apply.

Fees and Expenses

    After a company or trade association has been selected to 
participate in the mission, a participation fee paid to the U.S. 
Department of Commerce is required. The participation fee for one 
company representative will be $4,504 for small or medium-sized 
enterprises (SME) \2\ and $5,321 for large companies, which will cover 
one representative. The fee for each additional firm representative 
(large firm or SME/trade association) is $1,370.\3\ The Commercial 
Service will assist in booking hotels at favorable rates, but lodging 
costs, meals and incidental expenses will be the responsibility of each 
mission participant.
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    \2\ An SME is defined as a firm with 500 or fewer employees or 
that otherwise qualifies as a small business under SBA regulations. 
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.
    \3\ The mission participation fee includes the AusBiotech 
National Conference registration fee and conference evening dinner 
on November 1.
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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 U.S. 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 fifty-one percent U.S. content.

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     In the case of a trade association or trade organization, 
the applicant must certify that for each company to be represented by 
the association or trade organizations, the products and/or services 
the represented company seeks to export are either produced in the 
United States or, if not, marketed under the name of a U.S. firm and 
have at least fifty-one percent U.S. content.

Selection Criteria for Participation

    Selection will be based on the following criteria:
     Suitability of a company's (or in the case of a trade 
association or trade organization, represented companies') products or 
services to the mission's goals
     Company's (or in the case of a trade association or trade 
organization, represented companies') potential for business in 
Australia, including likelihood of exports resulting from the trade 
mission
     Consistency of the applicant's (or in the case of a trade 
association or trade organization, represented companies') goals and 
objectives with the stated scope of the trade 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 publication in the Federal Register, posting on the Commerce 
Department trade mission calendar (http://export.gov/trademissions/) 
and other Internet web sites, press releases to general and trade 
media, direct mail, notices by industry trade associations and other 
multiplier groups, and publicity at industry meetings, symposia, 
conferences, and trade shows.
    Recruitment for the mission will begin immediately and close on 
July 15, 2012. Selection decisions will be made on a rolling basis 
until 10-12 participants are selected. Although applications will be 
accepted through July 15, 2012, interested U.S. firms and trade 
associations are encouraged to submit their applications as soon as 
possible. We will inform applicants of selection decisions as the 
decisions are made. Applications received after July 15, 2012 will be 
considered only if space and scheduling constraints permit.

Contacts

U.S. Commercial Service Domestic Contact

Aileen Nandi, Senior Commercial Officer, San Jose U.S. Export 
Assistance Center, 408-535-2757, ext. 102, [email protected].
Gabriela Zelaya, International Trade Specialist, San Jose U.S. Export 
Assistance Center, 408-535-2757, ext. 107, [email protected].

U.S. Commercial Service Australia Contacts

Joe Kaesshaefer, Senior Commercial Officer, American Consulate 
General--Sydney, Tel: +61-2-9373-9201, [email protected].
Monique Roos, Commercial Specialist, American Consulate General--
Sydney, Tel: +61-2-9373-9210, [email protected].

Elnora Moye,
Trade Program Assistant.
[FR Doc. 2012-14452 Filed 6-12-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-FP-P