[United States Government Manual]
[September 15, 2009]
[Pages 519-522]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

1000 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1600, Arlington, VA 22209-3901
Phone, 703-875-4357. Fax, 703-875-4009. Email, [email protected]. Internet, 
www.ustda.gov.
DIRECTOR                                          Leocadia I. Zak, 
                                                          Acting
General Counsel                                   James A. Wilderotter
Chief of Staff                                    Thomas R. Hardy
Director for Policy and Programs                  Geoffrey Jackson
Resource Advisor                                  Michael Hillier
Communications/Policy Advisor                     Donna Thiessen
Congressional Relations Liaison                   Amy Lorenzini

Regional Directors:                                 

East Asia                                         Geoffrey Jackson
Europe and Eurasia                                Daniel D. Stein
Latin America and Caribbean                       Nathan Younge
Middle East and North Africa                      Carl B. Kress
South and Southeast Asia                          Henry D. Steingass
Sub-Saharan Africa                                Paul Marin
Economist/Evaluation Officer                      David Denny
Financial Manager                                 Noreen St. Louis
Contracts Manager                                 Richard Sallee

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Administrative Officer                            Carolyn Hum
Grants Administrator                              Patricia Daughetee

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The Trade and Development Agency advances economic development and U.S. 
commercial interest in developing and middle-income countries in the 
following regions of the world: East Asia, Europe and Eurasia, Latin 
America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, South and 
Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

  
  
  
  
The Trade and Development Program was established on July 1, 1980, as a 
component organization of the International Development Cooperation 
Agency. Section 2204 of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 
1988 (22 U.S.C. 2421) made it a separate component agency. The 
organization was renamed the Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) and 
made an independent agency within the executive branch of the Federal 
Government on October 28, 1992, by the Jobs Through Exports Act of 1992 
(22 U.S.C. 2421).
    USTDA is a foreign assistance agency that delivers its program 
commitments through overseas grants, contracts with U.S. firms, and the 
use of trust funds at several multilateral development bank groups. The 
projects supported by USTDA activities represent strong and measurable 
development priorities in host countries and offer opportunities for 
commercial participation by U.S. firms. Public and private sector 
project sponsors, in developing and middle-income countries, request 
USTDA support to assist them in implementing their development 
priorities.
    USTDA helps countries establish a favorable trading environment and 
a modern infrastructure that promotes sustainable economic development. 
To this end, USTDA funds overseas projects and sponsors access to U.S. 
private sector expertise in the areas of project definition and 
investment analysis and trade capacity building and sector development. 
Project definition and investment analysis involves activities that 
support large capital investments that contribute to overseas 
infrastructure development. Trade capacity building and sector 
development supports the establishment of industry standards, rules and 
regulations, trade agreements, market liberalization, and other policy 
reform.
    USTDA works with other U.S. Government agencies to bring their 
particular expertise and resources to a development objective. These 
agencies include the Departments of State, the Treasury, Commerce, 
Transportation, Energy, Agriculture, and Homeland Security; the Office 
of the U.S. Trade Representative; the Export-Import Bank of the United 
States; and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation.

Activities

USTDA funds various forms of technical assistance, training, early 
investment analysis, orientation visits, and business workshops that 
support the development of a modern infrastructure and a fair and open 
trading environment. Working closely with a foreign project sponsor, 
USTDA makes its funds available on the condition that the foreign entity 
contract with a U.S. firm to perform the activity funded. This affords 
American firms market entry, exposure, and information, thus helping 
them to establish a position in markets that are otherwise difficult to 
penetrate. USTDA is involved in many sectors, including transportation, 
energy, telecommunications, environment, health care, mining and 
minerals development, biotechnology, and agriculture.
    USTDA-funded studies evaluate the technical, economic, and financial 
aspects of a development project. They also advise the host nation about 
the availability of U.S. goods and services and can be used by financial 
institutions in assessing the creditworthiness of an undertaking. Grants 
are based on an official request for assistance made by the sponsoring 
government or private sector organization of a developing or middle-
income nation. Study costs typically are shared between USTDA and the 
U.S. firm developing the project.


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    The Agency makes decisions on funding requests based on the 
recommendations contained in definitional mission or desk study reports, 
the advice of the U.S. Embassy, and its own internal analysis.

Sources of Information

Requests for proposals to conduct USTDA-funded technical assistance and 
feasibility studies, or definitional missions involving review of 
projects under consideration for USTDA support are listed on the Federal 
Business Opportunities (FBO) Web site. Links to the FBO postings can be 
found at www.ustda.gov.
    Small and minority U.S. firms that wish to be considered for future 
USTDA desk study solicitations should register with the Agency's online 
Consultant Database at www.ustda.gov/consultantdb.
    In an effort to provide timely information on Agency-supported 
activities, USTDA sends out an eNewsletter with current business 
opportunities and a calendar of events on a biweekly basis. A free email 
subscription is available at www.ustda.gov. The Agency's printed 
newsletter, USTDA Update, contains current items of interest on a 
variety of program activities. Region- or sector-specific factsheets and 
case studies are also available. An annual report summarizes the 
Agency's activities.
    Agency news, reports, and lists of current business opportunities 
and upcoming events are available at www.ustda.gov.
    USTDA's library maintains final reports on the Agency's activities. 
The reports are available for public review Monday through Friday from 
8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Copies of completed studies may be purchased 
through the Department of Commerce's National Technical Information 
Service at www.ntis.gov.
    Regional program inquiries should be directed to the assigned 
Country Manager. Phone, 703-875-4357. Fax, 703-875-4009. Email, 
[email protected].

For further information, contact the Trade and Development Agency, Suite 
1600, 1000 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22209-3901. Phone, 703-875-
4357. Fax, 703-875-4009. Email, [email protected]. Internet, www.ustda.gov.

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