Business Development Mission to Belfast and Londonderry (Derry), Northern Ireland and Sligo, Ireland, the Week of June 8th, 1998

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

Business Development Mission to Belfast and Londonderry (Derry),

Northern Ireland and Sligo, Ireland, the Week of June 8th, 1998

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice serves to inform the public of a business

development mission to Belfast and Londonderry, Northern Ireland and

Sligo in the border counties of Ireland to be held the week of June

8th, 1998; provides interested U.S. firms with the opportunity to

submit an application to participate in the mission; sets forth

objectives, procedures, and selection review criteria for the mission;

and requests applications. The recruitment and selection of private

sector participants in the mission will be conducted in accordance with

the Statement of Policy Governing Department of Commerce Overseas Trade

Missions announced by Secretary William Daley on March 3, 1997 and

reflected herein.

DATES: The mission is scheduled for the week of June 8th, 1998.

Recruitment will begin after March 18th and conclude by April 24, 1998.

Applications received after that date will be considered only if space

permits.

ADDRESSES: Requests for and submission of applications:

Applications are available from Lucie Naphin, Director, Office of

Business Liaison at (202) 482-1360, fax (202) 482-4054, U.S. Department

of Commerce, Room 5062, 14th and Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington,

D.C. 20230. An original and two copies of the required application

materials should be sent to the Director at the above address.

Applications sent by facsimile must be immediately followed by

submission of the original application.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Mission Description

The U.S. Department of Commerce will organize a business

development mission to Belfast and Londonderry, Northern Ireland (NI)

and Sligo in the border counties of Ireland, the week of June 8th,

1998. The Secretary of Commerce, William M. Daley, will lead the

mission which will be comprised of about 20 U.S. company executives

from five industry sectors: environmental technology, food technology/

processing, health technology, information technologies, and wood/

timber products.

The business purpose of the mission is the promotion of U.S. trade,

exports, and investment in Northern Ireland and the Border Counties of

Ireland. The present state of the Northern Ireland and Ireland

economies and the ready access to the $7.8 trillion European market

provide strong and growing markets for U.S. products and services.

The itinerary of the mission will include stops in Belfast and

Londonderry (Derry), Northern Ireland and in County Sligo in the border

counties of Ireland. The private sector participants will be offered:

(1) One-on-one, pre-screened, business appointments with Northern

Ireland and Ireland companies; (2) expert market briefings with senior

U.K. (Northern Ireland) and Ireland (regional) Government officials;

(3) site visits to U.S. companies operating in Northern Ireland and the

Border Counties of Ireland; and, (4) logistical support and

transportation in and between Belfast and Londonderry, Northern Ireland

and Sligo in the border counties of Ireland.

Mission Goals

The goals of the mission are to: (1) Reaffirm the U.S. Government's

commitment and support to underpin the peace process through U.S.

commercial activity in the region; (2) increase sales of U.S. products

and services to Northern Ireland, Ireland, and the European Union; (3)

foster the increase of joint ventures and investments involving U.S.

companies in Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland,

especially those likely to result in U.S. exports; (4) seek resolution

of outstanding bilateral commercial issues, specific problems, and

opportunities and advocate interests in the key sectors targeted for

this mission; and, (5) facilitate and establish meetings between U.S.

companies and Northern Ireland/Border Counties of Ireland businesses.

Participation Criteria

About 20 companies will be selected to participate in the mission.

Participants must fall into one of the five sectors of environmental

technology, food technology/processing, health technology, information

technologies, and wood/timber products. A company's product or

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service must be either produced in the U.S. or if not, marketed under

the name of a U.S. firm and have at least 51% U.S. content of the

finished product/service. New-to-market companies are encouraged to

apply. Participant executives ideally will be at the level of CEO,

president or senior vice president. Each firm participating in this

mission will have been recruited by U.S. DOC in Washington and reviewed

by our U.S. Embassies in London and Dublin and our U.S. Consulate in

Belfast for:

(1) Consistency of the company's goals with the scope, nature and

desired outcome of the mission (as described herein); (2) relevance of

the company's line of business to the mission goals; (3) past, present,

or prospective business activity in the U.K., Ireland, or Europe; (4)

diversity of company size, type, location, demographics and traditional

under-representation in business. An applicant's partisan political

activities (including political contributions) are irrelevant to the

selection process.

Endorsements/Referrals

Third parties may nominate or endorse potential applicants, but

companies that are nominated or endorsed must themselves submit an

application in order to be eligible for consideration. Referrals from

political organizations will not be considered.

Costs

The fee for the mission will be determined prior to the application

deadline. The participation fee will not cover the participant's

travel, lodging or other personal expenses.

Authority: 15 U.S.C. 1512.

Ellis R. Mottur,

Acting Assistant Secretary for Trade Development.

[FR Doc. 98-7329 Filed 3-18-98; 8:45 am]

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