ASSISTANT SECRETARIAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MISSION TO MERCOSUR

CHILE, URUGUAY, AND ARGENTINA

NOVEMBER 8 - 13, 1999

MISSION STATEMENT

 

I. DESCRIPTION OF THE MISSION

Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Director General of the U.S. Commercial Service Awilda Marquez will lead a senior-level business development Matchmaker trade mission focusing on women-owned and women-managed businesses to the MERCOSUR countries of Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay. This Business Development Mission is being organized to precede the 1999 Women's Economic Summit of the Americas, which is being held in Buenos Aires, Argentina from November 11-13, 1999. While the trade mission and summit focus on women-owned and/or managed companies, participation is not limited to such businesses and all interested U.S. companies are encouraged to apply.

The mission will visit Santiago, Chile, Montevideo, Uruguay, and Buenos Aires, Argentina. The overall focus of the trip will be commercial opportunities for U.S. companies, including joint ventures, presented by the continuing market liberalization and privatizations within MERCOSUR. In each country briefings and matchmaking business appointments will be made for members of the business delegation. In Buenos Aires, the delegation will attend the 1999 Women's Economic Summit of the Americas (November 11 - 13). The delegation will be able to participate in all sessions being offered in the conference. A participation fee for the trade mission will be between $3,000 - $4,000 per company.

II. COMMERCIAL SETTING FOR THE MISSION

MERCOSUR: MERCOSUR is the Spanish acronym for the Southern Common Market which unites Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. Chile and Bolivia are associate members. With a population in excess of 200 million people and a current combined GDP of approximately $1 trillion, the MERCOSUR customs union is the world's fourth largest economic area. It is a large, rapidly growing market in the midst of one of the world's most dynamic regions. Markets in this hemisphere have been the leading source of U.S. export growth in five of the last six years. MERCOSUR is one of the few regions in the world where the United States maintains a favorable trade balance.

MERCOSUR encompasses 50 percent of Latin America=s Gross Domestic Product, 43 percent of its population, 59 percent of its total landmass, 50 percent of its industrial production and intra-regional trade and 33 percent of total Latin American foreign trade. Its nations= per capita income is 30 per cent higher than that of Latin America as a whole.

Reforms implemented by the individual countries have produced impressive growth rates. The strong GDP growth recorded by the region in the 1990s has been underpinned by a surge in foreign trade and direct investment. Since 1990, U.S. export sales to the rest of Latin America and the Caribbean have increased 150 percent, and by almost 250 percent to the countries of MERCOSUR, reaching US$22.4 billion in 1998.

The 1999 Women's Economic Summit of the Americas will bring together women business owners/managers and professional and entrepreneurial leaders from North, Central, and South America, as well as from the Caribbean Islands to explore and share strategies through which to expand women's business and trade capacity. A follow-up to the 1998 Vital Voices in Democracy conference held in Montevideo, Uruguay, the Summit intends to extend further the business and entrepreneurial relationships established a year earlier. While showcasing women's growing economic power in the region, the Summit will also promote exchanges of "best practices" and model programs that may be adapted by participants in their respective countries.

 

III. GOALS FOR THE MISSION

The mission will further both U.S. commercial policy objectives and advance specific business interests. It is aimed at:

C Introducing American companies to MERCOSUR and promoting expanded commercial opportunities in MERCOSUR;

C Resolving market access issues for U.S. companies in MERCOSUR, particularly in light of MERCOSUR=s integration efforts, both internally and with other markets; and

C Promote and highlight U.S. women-owned businesses and their products/services in the MERCOSUR market.

IV. SCENARIO FOR THE MISSION

Briefings and matchmaking business appointments will be made for members of the business delegation in Santiago, Chile; Montevideo, Uruguay; and Buenos Aires, Argentina. In each country, the business of the mission will consist of:

C Embassy briefings on the economic/commercial climates;

C Meetings with Ministers and other senior level government officials with responsibilities for the mission's focus group -- women entrepreneurs and business managers;

C Meetings with potential buyers, agents/distributors and partners;

C Meetings with the U.S. business community.

The Commerce Department=s U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service will provide logistical support for these activities at each stop.

The trip itinerary will be as follows:

November 7 (Sun:) Arrive in Santiago, Chile

November 8 (Mon:) Matchmaker meetings in Santiago

November 9 (Tue:) Depart for Montevideo

Matchmaker meetings in Montevideo

November 10 (Wed:) Matchmaker meetings in Montevideo

Travel by boat to Buenos Aires

Embassy Reception

November 11 (Thu:) Matchmaker meetings in Buenos Aires

Women's Economic Summit

November 12 (Fri:) Buenos Aires - Women's Economic Summit

November 13 (Sat:) Buenos Aires - Women's Economic Summit

 

V. CRITERIA FOR PARTICIPATION OF COMPANIES

Recruitment of mission members will be conducted in an open and public manner utilizing Commercial Service Export Assistance Centers and industry teams, and Trade Development personnel. Promotion will include publication of the event in the Federal Register, direct mailing, broadcast fax, press release to appropriate media, posting on the Internet, promotion at domestic exhibitions and conferences, and publicized announcements through a network of women's business organizations.

The recruitment and selection of private sector participants in the mission will be conducted according to the Statement of Policy governing Department of Commerce-led trade missions announced by Secretary Daley on March 3, 1997. Companies will be selected according to the criteria set out below. Approximately 15-20 companies will be selected.

 

 

Eligibility

Participating companies must be incorporated in the United States. A company is eligible to participate only if the products and/or services that it will promote on the mission (a) are manufactured or produced in the United States; or (b) if manufactured or produced outside the United States, are marketed under the name of a U.S. firm and have U.S. content representing at least 51 percent of the value of the finished good or service. (At the discretion of the Department, which will generally be exercised on a sector-by-sector basis, the 51 percent U.S. content requirement may be modified or waived.)

Selection Criteria

Company participation will be determined on the basis of:

C Level of seniority of designated company representatives and company appropriateness to the mission objectives;

C Consistency of company=s goals with the scope and desired outcome of the mission as described herein;

C Relevance of a company's business line to the plan for the mission;

C Past, present and prospective business activity in Latin America, and particularly Argentina, and Uruguay as applicable;

C Diversity of company size, type, location, demographics and traditional under-representation in business;

In addition, the Department may consider whether the companies= overall business objectives, including those of any U.S. or overseas affiliates, are fully consistent with the mission's foreign and commercial policy objectives.

An applicant=s partisan political activities (including political contributions) are irrelevant to the selection process.

VI. TIME FRAME FOR APPLICATIONS

Applications for the trade mission to Chile, Uruguay, and Argentina will be made available beginning on or about September 24. The fees to participate in the mission have not yet been determined and will not cover travel or lodging expenses. For additional information on the trade mission or to obtain an application, business persons should be referred to Joan Hall, of Export Promotion Services (EPS), at 202-482-2267. Applications should be submitted to Joan Hall by October 8, 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. The name, telephone number, email and address for the contact person for the trade mission follows:

Joan Hall
Export Promotion Services
Telephone 202-482-2267
FAX: 202-482-0115
E-mail: joan.hall@mail.doc.gov

Address: USDOC/EPS
2116 HCH Building
Washington DC 20230