U.S. Microelectronics Trade Mission

AGENCY:

International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.

ACTION:

Notice to U.S. Microelectronics Trade Mission to Shanghai, China, March 14-17, 2005.

SUMMARY:

The United States Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, U.S. Commercial Service, Office of Global Trade Programs is organizing a microelectronics trade mission to China, March 14-17, 2005. This trade mission will take place during the renowned annual Shanghai exhibition Electronica and Productronica China 2005—co-located with SEMICON China. Participating firms will not only have pre-arranged one-on-one meetings scheduled for them by the U.S. Commercial Service in Shanghai, but will also have the opportunity to make additional business contacts at the exhibition. A similar microelectronics mission took place in March 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Office of Global Trade Programs; Room 2012; Department of Commerce; Washington, DC 20230; Tel: (202) 482-4457; Fax: (202) 482-0178.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

U.S. Microelectronics Trade Mission, Shanghai, China, March 14-17, 2005.

Mission Statement

I. Description Of The Mission

The United States Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, U.S. Commercial Service, Office of Global Trade Programs is organizing a microelectronics trade mission to China, March 14-17, 2005. This trade mission will take place during the renowned annual Shanghai exhibition Electronica and Productronica China 2005—co-located with SEMICON China. Participating firms will not only have pre-arranged one-on-one meetings scheduled for them by the U.S. Commercial Service in Shanghai, but will also have the opportunity to make additional business contacts at the exhibition. A similar microelectronics mission took place in March 2004.

Trade mission participants will include representatives from U.S. firms specializing in microelectronics design, manufacturing, and distribution, including semiconductor devices, integrated circuit design services, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, clean room equipment, and electronics packaging/interconnects.

II. Commercial Setting for the Mission

Microelectronics design, manufacturing, and distribution make the foundation for the rapid growth of e-commerce, web-enabled technologies, and wireless technologies that will be the major business prospects in the 21st century in Asia. Representing one of the largest and fastest growing information technology (IT) markets in the world, China's electronics sector and IT industry are expected to grow at an annual rate of 25 percent. The Chinese Government is strongly committed to the development of a domestic microelectronics industry to enable the adoption of IT nationwide and to improve economic productivity. China's tenth Five-Year Plan (2001-2005) addresses the development of the country's information industry (including microelectronics). These development trends indicate that China is emerging as a new and strong production base for electronic and IT products in Asia. With this rapid growth in the IT sector, China is forced to build its strong microelectronics industry primarily on imports and investment from foreign suppliers. Shanghai, Beijing, and Hong Kong are among the cities that lead China's IT industry growth.

III. Goals for the Mission

The goal is to assist U.S. microelectronics industry's small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in attaining their export business objectives in the Chinese market through participation in this trade mission, which will be centered around a major exhibition. Mission participants will gain first-hand market exposure; meet with government decision makers and potential agents, distributors, and business partners from the private sector; and obtain information that will help them position themselves to take advantage of the strong business opportunities in China's microelectronics market.

IV. Scenario for the Mission

The mission will focus primarily on Shanghai. The schedule includes site visits, and briefings by the U.S. and Chinese governments. The purpose of the site visits will be to provide a broad vision of the Chinese electronics/semiconductor industry, which will help the participants to better understand the Chinese market. China government briefings will bring the participants into the government's presence and acquaint them with trade opportunities available to them from the Chinese government's perspective. A SEMICON forum, which all of the participants will be invited to attend, will also be on the agenda. The dates of the trade exhibition are March 15-17. The U.S. Commercial Service in Shanghai will set aside time for pre-arranged individual business meetings for the mission participants. In addition, the participants will have the opportunity to conduct business with exhibitors at the show, as well as display company literature in a booth at the exhibition. No other types of exhibition items may be displayed. A hospitality reception for the participants will be held the evening of March 17.

Timetable

Saturday, March 12—Arrive Shanghai (optional); activities open

Sunday, March 13—Arrive Shanghai (optional); activities open

Monday, March 14—Breakfast briefing for participants with Commercial Service Shanghai staff; High-tech industry park meetings and/or site tours

Tuesday, March 15—SEMI association market briefing in morning; Attend exhibition in afternoon

Wednesday, March 16—Meeting with Shanghai government authorities and/or site visits in morning; Attend exhibition in afternoon

Thursday, March 17—Individual one-on-one meetings; Hospitality reception in evening

Friday, March 18—Participants may wish to have follow-up business visits/appointments, or depart for the U.S.

Saturday, March 19—Participants will depart for the United States

V. Criteria for Participant Selection

• Relevance of the company's business line to mission's scope and goals;
• Potential for business in the China market;
• Timeliness of the company's signed and completed application and participation agreement, and payment of the mission participation fee of $2,250 for the first company representative, and $500 each for additional representatives;
• Provision of adequate information on the company's products and/or services and communication of the company's primary objectives to facilitate appropriate matching with potential business partners;
• Certification that the company meets Departmental guidelines for participation, including certification that the company's products and/or services are manufactured or produced in the United States or if manufactured/produced outside the of the United States, the product/services must be marketed under the name of the U.S. firm and have U.S. content of at least fifty-one percent of the value of the finished good or service.

A minimum of eight and a maximum of twenty participating companies will be recruited in an open and public manner, including publication in the Federal Register; posting on the Internet; press releases to general and trade media; direct mail and broadcast fax; and notices by industry trade associations and other multiplier groups, and at industry meetings, symposiums, conferences, and trade shows.

Any partisan political activities (including political contributions) of an applicant are entirely irrelevant to the selection process. The $2,250 trade mission participation fee does not include the cost of travel, lodging and meals. Recruitment will begin immediately and will close on January 21, 2005.

Contact

Ms. Marlene Ruffin, Global Trade Programs, U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service, Room 2107, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, DC 20230, Phone: (202) 482-0570; Fax: (202) 482-0115; e-mail: Marlene.Ruffin@mail.doc.gov.