MISSION STATEMENT

U.S. Information Technology Trade Mission to Far East Asia

Taipei, Taiwan

Seoul and Pusan, South Korea

June 11-17, 2000



Mission Description

The Office of Computers and Business Equipment will lead an information technologies (IT) industry trade mission to Taipei, Taiwan and Seoul and Pusan, South Korea from June 11 to 17, 2000. The mission will be led by John E. McPhee, Director of the Office of Computers and Business Equipment in the International Trade Administration. The project manager is Tu-Trang Phan, a computer market specialist. It will include representatives from a variety of U.S. IT firms specializing in Internet technologies, e-commerce, and wireless technologies who are interested in entering or expanding their presence in Far East Asia.



Commercial Setting

Electronic commerce, web-enabled technologies, and wireless technologies will be the hot business prospects in the 21st century in Far East Asia. Businesses are increasingly looking to Internet-enabling technologies to streamline their transactions along their supply chains and improve efficiency. Governments in both South Korea and Taiwan are also strongly endorsing the development of IT to improve their economic productivity.



According to the International Data Corporation, the market for Internet commerce applications in South Korea will increase from $1 million in 1999 to $4.7 million in 2000. The compound annual growth rate is projected to be 182 percent between 1998 and 2001. Korea currently has 5.67 million Internet service subscribers, ranking 10th in the world.



In Taiwan, the government plans to spend NTD 2 - 5 billion over the next two years to promote Business-to-Business electronic commerce (B2B EC) development. The Taiwan Council for Economic Planning and Development estimated that in 1998, the market for B2B EC was $385 million, was expected to increase 38.3 percent in 1999, and exceed $532 million in 2000.



Mission Goals

The mission's goal is to gain first-hand market information and provide access to key government officials and potential business partners for U.S. IT firms specializing in Internet technologies, e-commerce, and wireless technologies desiring to establish and expand their presence in the Taiwanese and Korean markets. The mission will also generate a large amount of publicity and market exposure for participating companies through press conferences and pre-trip publicity. In sum, the mission will facilitate access for the participating companies to opportunities resulting from the increasing market demand in Taiwan and Korea for U.S. information technology products.



Mission Scenario

The trade mission is designed primarily for one-on-one business meetings each participating U.S. company will have with qualified local clients, associations, and government representatives. Delegation members will also participate in market briefings where they will have the opportunity to meet with key government and business officials to discuss current market conditions and opportunities for U.S. information technology firms. Other activities include site visits, official receptions at several stops, and possible meetings with industry associations and commercial organizations. In Taiwan, the dates of mission will coincide with the World Congress for Information Technology, and mission delegates will have the option to attend and participate in this forum that brings together leaders in the information technology industry from around the world.



Timetable

The mission is scheduled to be in Taipei, Taiwan, June 11-14; Seoul, Korea, June 14-16; and Pusan, Korea, June 17. Recruitment for the mission will begin immediately and should be concluded no later than April 15, 2000. Applications received after that date will be considered only if space and scheduling constraints permit.



Criteria for Participant Selection

Application for participation in the mission is open to all U.S. computer companies who are interested in expanding into the Taiwanese and Korean markets. The mission will be composed of companies of various sizes and representing various sub-sectors within the computer industry. Other selection criteria include:



A company's products or services must be either produced in the United States or, if not, marketed under the name of a U.S. firm and have at least 51 percent U.S. content of the finished product/service.



Recruitment of a maximum of fifteen participating companies will be conducted in an open and public manner, including direct mail and fax, e-mail, Internet advertising, public notices and press releases, and targeted marketing through industry trade associations, domestic Commercial Service offices, and state trade offices. Notice of the trade mission will be published in Export America, the Federal Register, Commerce Business Daily, the Journal of Commerce, and other leading trade publications. Any partisan political activities (including political contributions) of an applicant are entirely irrelevant to the selection process.



Contact Information



Tu-Trang Phan

U.S. Department of Commerce

International Trade Administration, Room H-2806

Office of Computers and Business Equipment

Washington, DC 20230

Tel: 202-482-0480

Fax: 202-482-3002

E-mail: Tu-Trang_Phan@ita.doc.gov