October 24–November 1, 2007

Trade Mission Statement

Mission Description

The United States Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, U.S. Commercial Service, Office of Global Trade Programs will lead a healthcare technologies trade mission to Istanbul, Turkey; Amman, Jordan; and Cairo, Egypt from October 24 to November 1, 2007. The mission will include representatives of U.S. medical equipment firms interested in entering or expanding existing business in these markets. Although the focus of this mission is medical devices, a limited number of firms from dental, healthcare services, and biotechnology industries may be included, depending upon interest. The mission is open to representatives of U.S. healthcare technologies trade associations.

Commercial Setting

The countries included in this trade mission represent markets that spend over a billion dollars each year to provide increased healthcare to their citizens through modernization and upgrading of national and private medical systems. As these countries improve services, they will need to meet increasing demand for medical devices through imports.

U.S. medical equipment is favorably received in this region, and due to the U.S. dollar exchange rate, it is competitively priced against European competitors, but buyers are most likely to buy products from firms with solid distributorships and good regional contacts. U.S. firms also need to position their product lines in response to the dynamics of each country’s market.

This U.S. Department of Commerce trade mission is the ideal way for small and mid-size companies to evaluate these markets and make important business contacts.

Turkey:

The Turkish market for medical devices is estimated to be worth US$850 million, with the U.S. holding 25% of the import market share. Serving a population of 70 million, the Turkish healthcare system is undergoing notable changes that are allowing for significant reimbursements to private sector hospitals. This, along with the ability to attract patients from Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia, is spurring major investment in the country’s healthcare industry.

Jordan:

The Jordanian market is approximately US$75 million, with 22% of Jordan’s medical devices imported from the United States. Jordan is striving to become a medical hub for the Middle East, attracting patients from many parts of the Arab world who come for its high-quality care at reasonable rates. Attractive projects upcoming in the private/public sector include the Pediatric Hospital in Amman and the Princess Haya Hospital in Aqaba. Ongoing and planned investments in healthcare facilities and government/private sector modernization are driving up demand for U.S. products and services.

Egypt:

Egypt has one of the largest medical device markets in the Middle East, mostly due to demands of a large and growing population of 77 million. Egypt’s highly competitive medical market is estimated at US$255 million, with an annual growth rate of 10%. There are many healthcare providers in addition to the Ministry of Health (MOH), but the quality of care varies, creating opportunity for improvements. Although the U.S. only holds 13% market share, demand is increasing for quality U.S. healthcare products due to the development of new private hospitals combined with the MOH priority to modernize facilities.

Best Prospects in All Three Markets:

Prospects are particularly promising for state-of-the art products for diagnosis and patient monitoring such as MRIs, CT scanners, ultrasound equipment, and monitors; surgical equipment, anesthesia and operating theatres; orthopedic and prosthetic appliances; kidney dialysis equipment; laboratory equipment and reagents; cardiology equipment, catheters and pacemakers; and dental and optical devices. In addition, demand is also rising for health care services such as c onsulting in hospital administration, quality control and certification standards, training, and software for hospital administration and laboratory test results.

Mission Goals

The objective of this trade mission is to introduce U.S. companies to distributors, public and private buying agents and other potential business partners. The mission will focus on identifying opportunities for sales of medical equipment and related technologies. The mission will additionally seek to acquaint U.S. companies with local market environments so as to facilitate their ability to effectively introduce their products to the region.

Mission Scenario

Participants will visit three of the region’s key metropolitan centers. The mission will have access to major countrywide markets, as well as central government officials and U.S. Embassy staff for regulatory and business climate briefings:

Istanbul— the major business center and a key distribution center for U.S. products into Turkey.

Amman— the capital of Jordan. Major distributors for Jordan as well as Iraq are located here.

Cairo – the capital of Egypt. Majority of agents work from bases here to easily participate in public tenders.

During the trade mission participants will receive:
A) briefings on local medical markets in each city; B) introductions to potential distributors and agents, facility administrators, and purchasing managers through group events; C) site visits if applicable; D) one-on-one meetings tailored to each firm’s interests; and E) meetings with local business representatives and government officials, as suitable.

Timetable

Recruitment will begin in February 2007 and should conclude no later than August 15, 2007. Applications received after that date will be considered only if space and scheduling constraints permit. Participation is limited to the first 15 qualified companies that apply. The trade mission is tentatively scheduled to commence in Istanbul, Turkey the evening of Oct. 24, and then go on to Amman, Jordan Oct. 27, and travel to Cairo, Egypt on Oct. 30, where the main mission program will conclude on Nov. 1, 2007. The precise schedule will depend on the availability of local government and business officials, specific goals of mission participants, and air travel schedules.

Criteria for Participant Selection

• Diversity of product mix among participating companies, and the relevance of these products to mission goals.
• Business opportunities for the company in the three countries visited on this trade mission.
• Timeliness of complete application and participation agreement, including payment of all applicable participation fees.
• Provision of adequate information on company’s products/services and primary market objectives, in order to facilitate appropriate matching with potential business partners.
• 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 value of the finished product or service.
• Any partisan political activities (including political contributions) of an applicant are irrelevant to the selection process.

A minimum of 6 and a maximum of 15 participating companies per stop are desired.

Mission recruitment will be conducted in an open and public manner, including publication in the Federal Register, posting on the website address, press releases to the general and trade media, direct mail and broadcast fax, notices by industry trade associations and other multiplier groups, and announcements at industry meetings, symposia, conferences, and trade shows.

Costs

Contact: Ms. Lisa C. Huot
U.S. Dept. of Commerce, room 2118
Washington, DC 20230
Tel: 202-482-2796; Fax: 202-482-0975
E-Mail: Lisa_Huot@ita.doc.gov

Trade Mission Agenda*

* Note: The final schedule and potential site visits will depend on the availability of local government and
business officials, specific goals of mission participants, and air travel schedules.