[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 203 (Monday, October 23, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72734-72737]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-23365]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


Announcement of Approved International Trade Administration Trade 
Mission

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.

SUMMARY: The United States Department of Commerce, International Trade 
Administration (ITA), is announcing one upcoming trade mission that 
will be recruited, organized, and implemented by ITA. This mission is: 
Global Diversity Export Initiative (GDEI) Trade Mission to Panama, 
Costa Rica and Colombia in Conjunction with the ``Opportunities for 
Women-Owned Businesses in the Americas'' Conference--March 10-15, 2024. 
A summary of the mission is found below. Application information and 
more detailed mission information, including the commercial setting and 
sector information, can be found at the trade mission website: https://www.trade.gov/trade-missions. For each 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 (https://www.trade.gov/trade-missions-schedule) and other 
internet websites, 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeffrey Odum, Events Management Task 
Force, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 
1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 
482-6397 or email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Following Conditions for Participation 
Will Be Used for the Mission:
    Applicants must submit a completed and signed mission application 
and supplemental application materials, including adequate information 
on their products and/or services, primary market objectives, and goals 
for participation that is adequate to allow the Department of Commerce 
to evaluate their application. If the Department of Commerce receives 
an incomplete application, the Department of Commerce may either: 
reject the application, request additional information/clarification, 
or take the lack of information into account when evaluating the 
application. If the requisite minimum number of participants is not 
selected for a particular mission by the recruitment deadline, the 
mission may be cancelled.
    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, are marketed under the name of a U.S. firm and have 
at least 51% U.S. content by value. In the case of a trade association 
or organization, the applicant must certify that, for each firm or 
service provider to be represented by the association/organization, the 
products and/or services the represented firm or service provider 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 51% U.S. content by 
value.
    A trade association/organization applicant must certify and agree 
to the above for every company it seeks to represent on the mission. In 
addition, each applicant must:
     Certify that the products and services that it wishes to 
market through the mission would be in compliance with U.S. export 
controls and regulations;
     Certify that it has identified any matter pending before 
any bureau or office in the Department of Commerce;
     Certify that it has identified any pending litigation 
(including any administrative proceedings) to which it is a party that 
involves the Department of Commerce; and
     Sign and submit an agreement that it and its affiliates 
(1) have not and will not engage in the bribery of foreign officials in 
connection with a company's/participant's involvement in this mission, 
and (2) maintain and enforce a policy that prohibits the bribery of 
foreign officials.
    In the case of a trade association/organization, the applicant must 
certify that each firm or service provider to be represented by the 
association/organization can make the above certifications.

The Following Selection Criteria Will Be Used for the Mission

    Targeted mission participants are U.S. firms, services providers 
and trade associations/organizations providing or promoting U.S. 
products and services that have an interest in entering or expanding 
their business in the mission's destination country. The following 
criteria will be evaluated in selecting participants:
     Suitability of the applicant's (or in the case of a trade 
association/organization, represented firm's or service provider's) 
products or services to these markets;
     The applicant's (or in the case of a trade association/
organization, represented firm's or service provider's) potential for 
business in the markets, including likelihood of exports resulting from 
the mission; and
     Consistency of the applicant's (or in the case of a trade 
association/organization, represented firm's or service provider's) 
goals and objectives with the stated scope of the mission. Balance of 
company size and location may also be considered during the review 
process.
    Referrals from a political party or partisan political group or any 
information, including on the application, containing references to 
political contributions or other partisan political activities will be 
excluded from the application and will not be considered during the 
selection process. The sender will be notified of these

[[Page 72735]]

exclusions. The Department of Commerce will evaluate applications and 
inform applicants of selection decisions on a rolling basis until the 
maximum number of participants has been selected.

Definition of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise

    For purposes of assessing participation fees, an applicant is a 
small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) if it qualifies as a ``small 
business'' under the Small Business Administration's (SBA) size 
standards (https://www.sba.gov/document/support--table-size-standards), 
which vary by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 
Code. The SBA Size Standards Tool (https://www.sba.gov/size-standards) 
can help you determine the qualifications that apply to your company.
    Mission List: (additional information about trade missions can be 
found at https://www.trade.gov/trade-missions).

Global Diversity Export Initiative (GDEI) Trade Mission to Panama, 
Costa Rica and Colombia in Conjunction With the ``Opportunities for 
Women-Owned Businesses in the Americas'' Conference--March 10-15, 2024

Summary

    The United States Department of Commerce, International Trade 
Administration (ITA), is organizing a Global Diversity Export 
Initiative (GDEI) Trade Mission to Panama, Costa Rica, and Colombia 
from March 10-15, 2024, that will include the ``Opportunities for 
Woman-Owned Businesses in the Americas'' Conference in Panama City, 
Panama on March 10-11, 2024. The mission is horizontal, with various 
industries and sectors represented and will be based on best prospects 
and growth potential for U.S. companies in Panama, Costa Rica and 
Colombia.
    Recruitment and consideration will be extended to all export-ready 
U.S. companies, including small businesses, trade associations and 
other exporting organizations that meet the established criteria for 
participation in the mission. In keeping with the U.S. Department of 
Commerce's Equity Action Plan, ITA seeks to improve outreach to and 
representation of businesses with owners and/or leaders from 
underserved communities, including through the Global Diversity Export 
Initiative of the U.S. Commercial Service. This mission will expand 
access to export opportunities to U.S. small and medium-sized 
businesses, including those founded, led, operated or owned by women 
from industries with growing potential in Panama, Costa Rica, and 
Colombia.
    This mission is in alignment with Executive Order 13985 on 
Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through 
the Federal Government (January 25, 2021) (E.O. 13985), Executive Order 
14091 on Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved 
Communities Through the Federal Government (February 22, 2022) (E.O. 
14091), Executive Order 14020 on the Establishment of the White House 
Gender Policy Council (March 11, 2021) (E.O. 14020), and the Global 
Diversity Export Initiative of the U.S. Commercial Service. For the 
purposes of the trade mission, ITA adopts the definition of 
``underserved communities'' in E.O. 14020, incorporated into E.O. 
14091: ``populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as 
geographic communities, that have been systematically denied a full 
opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic 
life, as exemplified by the list in the preceding definition of 
``equity.'' ``Equity'' is defined as ``the consistent and systematic 
fair, just, and impartial treatment of all individuals, including 
individuals who belong to underserved communities that have been denied 
such treatment, such as women and girls; Black, Latino, and Indigenous 
and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and 
other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, 
bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with 
disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise 
adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.'' This trade 
mission is also designed to be responsive to the priorities stated by 
Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and outlined in the Equity Action 
Plan released in April 2022 which aspires to ``harness the talents and 
strengths of all parts of the country, including women, people of 
color, and others who are too often left behind'' including by 
``[s]trengthen[ing] small businesses in underserved communities by 
helping them be successful exporters''.
    Women own 12 million businesses in the United States, employing 
more than 10 million workers.\1\ According to the U.S. Small Business 
Administration (citing the 2018 Census Bureau's Annual Business Survey, 
latest data available), women-owned businesses contributed $2.1 
trillion in total sales to the U.S. economy and $388 billion in annual 
payroll. The 2020 Census Bureau's Annual Business Survey included three 
top sectors for women-owned employer firms as: (1) healthcare and 
social assistance (216,000 women-owned employer firms); (2) 
professional, scientific and technical services (207,000 women-owned 
employer firms); and (3) retail trade (137,000 women-owned employer 
firms).\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/03/27/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-new-resources-to-support-women-small-businesses-owners-continued-commitment-to-supporting-americas-entrepreneurs/.
    \2\ https://advocacy.sba.gov/2023/03/21/facts-about-small-business-women-ownership-statistics/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Despite these promising statistics, women-owned businesses face 
unique obstacles in accessing overseas markets, including difficulty 
obtaining financing and lack of knowledge about export opportunities. 
By including attendance at the ``Opportunities for Woman-Owned 
Businesses in the Americas'' Conference in Panama City, Panama on March 
10-11, 2024, this mission will assist U.S. small and medium-sized 
businesses, including those founded, led, operated or owned by women to 
find partners and begin or expand exports in Panama, Costa Rica and 
Colombia. Each country benefits from a free trade agreement with the 
United States.
    Trade mission participants will arrive in Panama City, Panama on 
March 10 to attend the opening reception for the ``Opportunities for 
Woman-Owned Businesses in the Americas'' Conference, which is also open 
to U.S. companies not participating in the trade mission. The 
Businesses Conference will focus on regional and industry-specific 
sessions and will gather experts on market entry strategies, logistics, 
procurement, trade financing, access to capital, and other important 
topics to assist women business exporters. The registration fee for the 
business conference is included in the trade mission costs.
    On Sunday, March 10, trade mission participants will participate in 
one-on-one meetings (U.S. diplomats and/or industry specialists from 15 
U.S. Embassies from the region will be available), a trade mission 
briefing, and a networking reception. On Monday, March 11, participants 
will engage in the business conference that will include a morning 
plenary session, a networking lunch, afternoon workshops and one-on-one 
meetings with key service providers and U.S. diplomats and/or industry 
specialists, information and material on trade-related resources, and 
an evening networking reception. On Tuesday, March 12, selected 
participants will engage in business-to-

[[Page 72736]]

business (B2B) meetings in Panama City or travel to Costa Rica or 
Colombia to engage in B2B appointments in those markets. B2B meetings 
will be conducted with pre-screened potential buyers, agents, 
distributors or joint-venture partners, in the selected city/stop in 
Panama, and/or Costa Rica, and/or Colombia. The combination of the 
``Opportunities for Woman-Owned Businesses in the Americas'' Conference 
and the B2B matchmaking opportunities in Panama, Costa Rica, and 
Colombia will provide participants with substantive information on 
strategies for entering or expanding their business in Panama, Costa 
Rica, and Colombia, key contacts with Commercial Service officers and 
local staff, and networking opportunities to build vital business 
relationships.

Best Prospects

    The mission is horizontal, with various industries and sectors 
represented, based on best prospects for U.S. companies in Panama, 
Costa Rica and Colombia. Best prospect sectors include: Agricultural 
Products; Automotive Parts, Accessories and Service Equipment; 
Construction Equipment; Cosmetics; Cybersecurity; Defense & Security; 
Disposable Medical Supplies; eCommerce; Education; Electric Power and 
Renewable Energy Systems; Information and Communication Technology 
(ICT); Infrastructure; Medical Devices and Equipment; Oil and Gas 
Exploration and Production Equipment; Processed Food and Beverages; 
Solar Energy Products; and Travel and Tourism.

Other Products and Services

    Applications from companies exporting products or services within 
the scope of this mission, but not specifically identified, will be 
considered and evaluated by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Companies 
whose products or services do not fit the scope of the mission may 
contact their local U.S. Commercial Service office to learn about other 
business development missions and services that may provide more 
targeted export opportunities. Companies may visit https://www.trade.gov/contact-us to obtain such information. This information 
also may be found on the website: https://www.trade.gov/.

Proposed Timetable

    * Note: The final schedule and potential site visits will depend 
on the availability of host government and business officials, 
specific goals of mission participants, and ground transportation.


------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday, March 09, 2024..........  Travel Day/Arrival in Panama City,
                                     Panama.
Sunday, March 10, 2024............  Panama. Business Conference.
                                     Afternoon: Registration, U.S.
                                     Embassy Officer Meetings and Market
                                     Briefings. Evening: Networking
                                     Reception.
Monday, March 11, 2024............  Panama. Business Conference.
                                     Morning: Registration. Plenary
                                     Session. Afternoon: U.S. Embassy
                                     Officer Meetings and Workshops.
                                     Evening: Networking Reception.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

B2B Meeting Options

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday-Friday, March 12-15, 2024.  Travel to Business-to-Business
                                     Meetings in (up to two markets):
                                     Option (A) Panama. Option (B) Costa
                                     Rica. Option (C) Colombia.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Participation Requirements

    All parties interested in participating in the U.S. Department of 
Commerce GDEI Trade Mission to Panama, Costa Rica and Colombia must 
complete and submit an application package for consideration by the 
U.S. 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 20 and a maximum of 40 firms and/or trade associations 
will be selected to participate in the mission on a first come, first 
served basis.
    All selected participants will attend the Business Conference in 
Panama City and will have the opportunity for B2B meetings in up to two 
markets (Panama and/or Costa Rica, and/or Colombia). The number of 
firms that may be selected for B2B meetings in each country is as 
follows: 20 companies for Panama; 20 companies for Costa Rica; 20 
companies for Colombia.
    During the registration process, applicants will be able to select 
the countries for which they would like to receive a brief market 
assessment. Upon receipt of market assessment reports, they will be 
able to select up to two stops for B2B meetings.
    The trade mission is open to U.S. firms already doing business, and 
seeking to expand market share, in Panama, Costa Rica and Colombia and 
to those U.S. firms new to these markets.

Fees and Expenses

    After a firm or trade association is selected to participate in the 
mission, a payment to the Department of Commerce in the form of a 
participation fee is required. The fees are as follow:
    If one stop/country is selected for B2B meetings, the participation 
fee will be $2,800 for a small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) (see 
above definition of SMEs) and $4,000 for large firms.
    If two stops/countries are selected for B2B meetings, the 
participation fee will be $3,800 for a small and medium-sized 
enterprises (SME) (see above definition of SMEs) and $5,000 for large 
firms.
    The mission participation fees above include the ``Opportunities 
for Woman-Owned Businesses in the Americas'' Conference registration 
fee of $500, which covers one participant per firm. Ground 
transportation to B2B meetings will be provided for trade mission 
delegation participants if meetings are conducted outside the hotel 
where the Business Conference will take place.
    If and when an applicant is selected to participate in this 
mission, a payment to the Department of Commerce in the amount of the 
designated participation fee above is required. Upon notification of 
acceptance, those selected have five business days to submit payment or 
the acceptance may be revoked.
    Participants selected for a trade mission will be expected to pay 
for the cost of personal expenses, including, but not limited to, 
international travel, lodging, meals, transportation, communication, 
and incidentals, unless otherwise noted. Participants will, however, be 
able to take advantage of U.S. Government rates for hotel rooms. In the 
event that the mission is cancelled, no personal expenses paid in 
anticipation of a mission will be reimbursed. However, participation 
fees for a cancelled mission will be reimbursed to the extent they have 
not already been expended in anticipation of the mission.

[[Page 72737]]

    If a visa is required to travel on a particular mission, applying 
for and obtaining such a visa will be the responsibility of the mission 
participant. Government fees and processing expenses to obtain such a 
visa are not included in the participation fee. However, the Department 
of Commerce will provide instructions to each participant on the 
procedures required to obtain business visas.
    Trade mission members participate in trade missions and undertake 
mission-related travel at their own risk. The nature of the security 
situation in any given foreign market at a given time cannot be 
guaranteed. The U.S. Government does not make any representations or 
guarantees as to the safety or security of participants. The U.S. 
Department of State issues U.S. Government international travel alerts 
and warnings for U.S. citizens available at https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings.html. Any question regarding 
insurance coverage must be resolved by the participant and its insurer 
of choice.
    Travel and in-person activities are contingent upon the safety and 
health conditions in the United States and the mission countries. 
Should safety or health conditions not be appropriate for travel and/or 
in-person activities, the Department will consider postponing the event 
or offering a virtual program in lieu of an in-person agenda. In the 
event of a postponement, the Department will notify the public, and 
applicants previously selected to participate in this mission will need 
to confirm their availability but need not reapply. Should the decision 
be made to organize a virtual program, the Department will adjust fees 
accordingly, prepare an agenda for virtual activities, and notify the 
previously selected applicants with the option to opt-in to the new 
virtual program.

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 (https://www.trade.gov/trade-missions) http://www.trade.gov/, the Trade Americas web page (https://www.trade.gov/trade-americas-events) and other internet websites, 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 immediately and conclude no 
later than Friday, December 29, 2023. The U.S. Department of Commerce 
will review applications and make selection decisions on a rolling 
basis until the maximum of 40 participants are selected. After Friday, 
December 29, 2023, companies will be considered only if space and 
scheduling constraints permit.

Contacts

U.S. Trade Americas Team Contact Information

Diego Gattesco, Director/Trade Americas Team Leader, U.S. Commercial 
Service Wheeling, WV, Email: [email protected], Tel: 304-243-
5493
Sara E. Hagigh, Senior International Trade Specialist, Multilateral & 
Strategic Initiatives Team, Office of Western Hemisphere, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, Washington, 
DC, Email: [email protected], Tel: 202-482-5405

Commercial Service Panama Contact Information

Timothy Cannon, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy Panama City, 
Panama, Email: [email protected], Tel: (507) 6612-3606

Commercial Service Costa Rica Contact Information

Ryan Hollowell, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy San Jose, Costa 
Rica, Email: [email protected], Tel: (506) 2519-2293

Commercial Service Colombia Contact Information

Lisa White, Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy Bogota, Colombia, Email: 
[email protected], Tel: (+57) 321-843-6314

Gemal Brangman,
Director, Trade Events Management Task Force.
[FR Doc. 2023-23365 Filed 10-20-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-P