[Federal Register: March 19, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 53)]
[Notices]               
[Page 13393-13394]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19mr98-34]

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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

[[Page 13394]]

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]
BILLING CODE 3510-DA-P