Under Secretary David Aaron's High-Technology Trade Mission to Southeast Asia

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

Under Secretary David Aaron's High-Technology Trade Mission to

Southeast Asia

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice serves to inform the public that Ambassador David

L. Aaron, Under Secretary for International Trade, will lead a High-

Technology Trade Mission to Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the

Philippines, September 7-19, 1998. This notice also sets forth mission

objectives, application procedures, and participation criteria.

DATES: Applications should be submitted to Alain de Sarran by Friday,

July 31, 1998, in order to ensure sufficient time to obtain in-country

appointments for applicants selected to participate in the mission.

Applications received after that date will be considered only if space

and scheduling constraints permit.

ADDRESSES: Request for and submission of applications--Applications are

available from Alain de Sarran, Deputy Director, Office of

International Operations, East Asia and the Pacific, at (202) 482-2422

or via facsimile at (202) 501-6165. Numbers listed in this notice are

not toll-free. An original and two copies of the required application

materials should be sent to the project officer noted above.

Applications sent by facsimile must be immediately followed by

submission of the original application to Mr. de Sarran at the

following address: Office of International Operations, East Asia and

the Pacific, Room 1223, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and

Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alain de Sarran or Paul Kullman at

(202) 482-2422. Information is also available via the International

Trade Administration's (ITA) Internet home page at ``http://

www.ita.doc.gov''

Trade Mission Description

This trade mission is designed to lend high-profile U.S. Government

advocacy to American companies, particularly small and medium-sized

firms, seeking business opportunities in high-technology sectors in

Southeast Asia, and to demonstrate U.S. support of countries in the

region recovering from the financial crisis. The current financial

problems affecting Southeast Asia are slowing growth in the short term.

However, as these economies implement financial reforms, their rates of

economic growth can be expected to resume a more dynamic pace, thereby

providing U.S. companies with exceptional high-tech export

opportunities.

Government leaders of Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the

Philippines place many of their hopes for industrial modernization,

increased competitiveness, and economic recovery in their high-tech

sectors, and they often look to the United States first to help fulfill

these hopes because U.S. companies possess cutting-edge technology and

know-how. Guided by reporting on best export prospects from the

Department's overseas offices, this mission endeavors to meet foreign

demand for information technology, telecommunications and environmental

technology.

The mission will visit Kuala Lumpur and Penang, September 7-10 ;

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Singapore, September 11; Manila, September 12-16; and Bangkok,

September 16-19. The program for the mission includes embassy briefings

on the commercial/economic environment, meetings with potential buyers,

agents, distributors and strategic alliance partners, and engagements

with Asian ministers and business leaders as well as American business

executives based in Southeast Asia.

Trade Mission Goals

The goals of the trade mission are to:

(1) Boost U.S. high-technology exports and market share in

Southeast Asia;

(2) Establish and expand business relations between U.S. executives

and host-country government and industry leaders;

(3) Highlight U.S. leadership and competitiveness in high-

technology sectors;

(4) Identify new and upcoming commercial high-technology

opportunities in the region;

(5) Achieve greater transparency and fairness in host-country

procurement and purchasing decisions; and

(6) Demonstrate high-visibility U.S. support for the Southeast

Asian economies recovering from the recent economic downturn.

Criteria for Participation

The recruitment and selection of private sector participants in

this mission will be conducted according to the Statement of Policy

Governing Department of Commerce Overseas Trade Missions announced by

Secretary William Daley on March 3, 1997. Company participation will be

determined on the basis of:

(1) Relevance of the company's business line to the trade mission's

goals;

(2) Potential for sales to the selected high-technology sectors in

the target countries;

(3) Timeliness of company's completed application and payment of

the participation fee;

(4) Certification that the company's product or service is

manufactured or produced in the United States, or, if manufactured/

produced outside the United States, the product/service is marketed

under the name of a U.S. firm and has U.S. content representing at

least 51 percent of the value of the finished product or service.

Any partisan political activities of an applicant, including

political contributions, will be entirely irrelevant to the selection

process. Third parties may nominate or endorse potential applicants,

but companies that are nominated or endorsed must themselves submit an

application to be eligible for consideration. Referrals from political

organizations will not be considered.

Costs

The fee to participate in the trade mission is $5,500 per person.

Each additional person from the same company costs $500. This fee does

not cover travel or lodging expenses.

Authority: 15 U.S.C. 1512.

Dated: June 15, 1998.

Alice Davenport,

Regional Director, Office of East Asia and the Pacific, International

Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.

[FR Doc. 98-16333 Filed 6-18-98; 8:45 am]

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