Embassy of the United States

Below are suggestions on exporting to Peru, traveling to Peru, and investing in Peru as well as resources pertaining to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Exporting to Peru

President Obama announced the National Export Initiative (NEI) two years ago, with the goal of doubling exports by 2014. U.S. embassies are committed to supporting U.S. companies in this effort. At U.S. Embassy Lima, we aim to help U.S. businesses establish and grow their exports to Peru. In this section, you'll find an overview of the Peruvian market and some suggestions to help get you started.

1. Visit our local Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) offices that represent the diverse interests of U.S. agricultural producers and agribusiness for sales abroad.
2. Visit our local Foreign Commercial Service (FCS) offices dedicated to promoting U.S. goods and services exports overseas.  (http://export.gov/Peru/)
3. Access the U.S. Commercial Service Market Research Library containing more than 100,000 industry and country-specific market reports, authored by our specialists working in overseas posts. The Library includes:
   
   
   • Country Commercial Guides (read latest "Doing Business In" guides)
   • Industry Overviews
   • Market Updates
   • Multilateral Development Bank Reports
   • Best Markets
   • Industry/Regional Reports
4. In the United States, contact your local U.S. Export Assistance Center for advice and support on exporting to Peru. (http://export.gov/usoffices/index.asp)
5. Contact your local Small Business Development Center (SBDCs). Starting a business can be a challenge, but there is help for you in your area. Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) are partnerships primarily between the government and colleges/universities administered by the Small Business Administration and aimed at providing educational services for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs.
6. Contact in-country business support organizations such as the American Chamber of Commerce in Peru.

Traveling to Peru

• Make sure to check the current State Department travel advisory for Peru:  http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_998.html
• Register with the U.S. Embassy - U.S. citizens around the world who travel or reside abroad can access this site either through a link on http://travel.state.gov or directly at http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/registration/registration_4789.html

Investing in Peru

This section provides information for current and potential investors in Peru.

Potential Investors: Getting Started.

If you are considering investing in Peru, here are some steps you may wish to consider as you get started:

• Do your homework - See our Peru Country Commercial Guide and Investment Climate Statement
• Visit host country resources, such as ProInversion http://www.proinversion.gob.pe/
• Contact local U.S. business support organizations, such as the American Chamber of Commerce in Peru http://www.amcham.org.pe/
• Subscribe to our embassy Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/Peru.usembassy or Twitter feed http://twitter.com/#!/USEMBASSYPERU.

Current investors: Staying Connected.

If you are a current U.S. investor in Peru, the U.S. Embassy wants to stay in touch. Here are a few steps you can take to keep the channels of communication open:

• Register with the U.S. Embassy - U.S. citizens around the world who travel or reside abroad can access this site either through a link on http://travel.state.gov or directly at http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/registration/registration_4789.html
• Subscribe to our embassy Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/Peru.usembassy or Twitter feed http://twitter.com/#!/USEMBASSYPERU.

Working in Peru

In this section you will find information on business visas, travel advisories, and anti-corruption tools.

Business Visas

For information on obtaining a visa to visit Peru see: http://www.embassyofperu.org/

Travel Advisories

Make sure to check the current State Department travel advisory for Peru: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_998.html

Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) is an important anti-corruption tool designed to discourage corrupt business practices and promote free and fair markets. The FCPA prohibits promising, offering, giving or authorizing giving anything of value to a foreign government official where the purpose is to obtain or retain business. These prohibitions apply to U.S. individuals and companies, and to companies that are listed on U.S. exchanges. The statute also requires companies that are publicly traded in the United States to keep accurate books and records and to implement appropriate internal controls. More information on the FCPA can be found at: http://www.fcpa.us/

A party to a transaction seeking to know whether a proposed course of conduct would violate the FCPA can take advantage of the opinion procedure established by the statute. Within 30 days of receiving a description of a proposed course of conduct in writing, the Attorney General will provide the party with a written opinion on whether the proposed conduct would violate the FCPA. Not only do opinions provide the requesting party with a rebuttable presumption that the conduct does not violate the FCPA, but Department of Justice publishes past opinions which can provide guidance for other companies facing similar situations. More information on the DOJ opinion procedure can be found at: http://www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa/docs/frgncrpt.pdf