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SelectUSA Brings Investment and Jobs to the United States

January 25, 2012

Barry Johnson is the executive director of SelectUSA and Aaron Brickman is the deputy executive director of SelectUSA

Did you see President Obama’s call to action to invest in America and boost job creation? Well if you missed it check out the White House blog post. Also at the forum, Commerce Secretary John Bryson moderated a panel discussion highlighting foreign direct investment (FDI) as an important source of economic and job growth in the United States.Bar chart showing the impact of Foreign Direct Investment in the United States in 2009. Increase in employmenet by 5%, GDP of 5.1%, Capital Investment of 12%, imports 31%, exports 21%, and research and development 14%. Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis

Currently, the United States is the largest recipient of FDI in the world. In 2010, FDI into the U.S. economy increased to $228 billion from $153 billion in 2009.While the United States has enjoyed this leadership position for decades, the share of FDI to the United States is decreasing. In the 1980s the FDI in the United States accounted for nearly 45 percent of the all foreign direct investment. Today, the United States accounts for less than 15 percent of total FDI flows.

At the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA) we are working to promote foreign direct investment in the United States because it is significantly impacts U.S. exports and jobs. U.S. subsidiaries of foreign companies are responsible for about 21 percent of all U.S. exports and support more than 5.3 million U.S. jobs – that’s about 5 percent of all U.S. employment!

Since taking office, the President has emphasized the unequivocal policy of openness to both foreign and domestic companies that invest in America. SelectUSA, which is housed within ITA, was created by President Obama in 2011 through an Executive Order to promote business investment in the United States.

The United States provides an ideal landscape for companies to build and grow their business. As the President reminded us, “companies are choosing to invest in the one country with the most productive workers, best universities, and most creative and innovative entrepreneurs in the world: the United States of America.”

And there is more. SelectUSA promotes the benefits of investing in the United States, including a strong system of intellectual property rights protection; unparalleled global access through trade agreements representing access to nearly 610 million worldwide consumers; and nearly 36 percent of global research and development expenditures taking place in the United States.

SelectUSA works with firms, economic development organizations, and other stakeholders to provide a comprehensive single point of contact for current and prospective business investors by:

  • Acting as an information clearinghouse and responding to inquiries about the U.S. business climate
  • Serving as ombudsman to help investors encountering confusion, delays or obstacles in a federal regulatory process
  • Advocating on behalf of the U.S. government in a globally competitive business location decision
  • Offering after care to companies that have U.S. investments

Companies and organizations use these services to help make business investment decisions when exploring the U.S. economy.

One of the companies in attendance at the White House forum, Canada-based AGS Automotive Systems, is a recent SelectUSA success story. The Company announced plans to manufacture bumper systems at an expanded facility in Michigan with an investment of $20 million.

Through the Commercial Service Canada’s introduction, SelectUSA met with AGS Automotive during its outreach visit to Toronto in September, 2011. Since then, SelectUSA has worked with AGS Automotive as the company evaluated its location decision among various options across North America.

Financial assistance and incentives offered by the State of Michigan were also pivotal in AGS Automotive’s investment decision. With these plans, the company will create 100 direct new jobs and retain its 50 existing jobs in the U.S. automotive sector.

The President also announced a new partnership between the Departments of Commerce and State to promote investment in the United States in ten priority countries through ITA’s Foreign Commercial Service and supported by U.S. embassies. A White House release explained:

“[t]his pilot effort will dedicate resources from Commerce’s Foreign Commercial Service (FCS) to investment promotion in 10 pilot countries representing 30 percent of foreign direct investment in the United States, expanding to cover 25 countries in 2013 representing roughly 90 percent of FDI.  U.S. Ambassadors will lead these efforts, engaging officials from State and other in country officials to assist investment promotion through business outreach, hosting ‘investment missions’ with governors and mayors, and connecting foreign firms to SelectUSA services.”

The pilot countries will be: Brazil, Canada, China and Hong Kong, France, Germany, India, Mexico, Russia, South Korea, and Spain.

Maintaining America’s industry competitiveness is an ongoing endeavor; however, with programs like SelectUSA, it’s much easier for companies of all sizes and from all business segments to make a sound decision to locate operations here.

Posted in Commercial Service, Competitiveness, Investment, Manufacturing, Services | Tagged , | 2 Comments »

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Travel and Tourism Gets a Presidential Boost

January 19, 2012
This post contains external links. Please review our external linking policy.

Michael Masserman is the Director of the Office of Advisory Committees within the Manufacturing and Services division of the International Trade Administration

The new travel and tourism advisory board with Commerce Secretary John Bryson

The new travel and tourism advisory board with Commerce Secretary John Bryson

Against the backdrop of Disney World, President Obama signed an executive order that will boost tourism to the United States and ultimately create jobs. The order will create, among other things, a Task Force on Travel and Competitiveness that will develop and deliver within 90 days a National Travel and Tourism Strategy that will help encourage international visitors to come to the United States. More than 47 million international visitors have arrived to see our sights, attend conferences, take family vacations, visit natural wonders, theme parks and experience what we have to offer. Developing a national tourism strategy and streamlining the visa process for non-immigrant visas will attract more tourists and create more jobs.

Commerce Secretary Bryson this week also welcomed the 32 members (19 of whom have never before served) of the re-chartered Travel and Tourism Advisory Board. The Board serves as the principal private sector advisory committee to the Secretary of Commerce on the U.S. travel and tourism industry.

As the new Board gets situated in their new role as advisors, they will be building on the foundation laid out by previous Boards. Originally chartered in 2003, the Board has been conferring and advising the Secretary on everything from revival of the Gulf Coast Region to recommendations on energy security and travel facilitation.

Members represent companies and organizations in the travel and tourism industry from a broad range of products and services, company sizes and geographic locations. Todd Davidson, CEO of Travel Oregon will serve as Chair and Sam Gilliand, Chairman and CEO of Sabre Holdings will serve as Vice-Chair. Both are returning members to the Board and will provide leadership in the activities of the new Board that will build on work of their predecessors.

The travel and tourism industry is a crucial part of the U.S. services economy whose strength and growth is essential to the economic health of our nation. Travel and tourism is a $1.2 trillion sector of the U.S. economy or nearly three percent of Gross Domestic Product. Critical to the nation’s overall economic health, the travel and tourism industry is one of the top employers for more than half of the U.S. states and territories.

The U.S. travel and tourism industry is on pace for a record-setting year. Through November 2011, international visitors spent an estimated $139.4 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related goods and services year to date, an increase of 13 percent compared to the same period in 2010. The United States recorded a $38.4 billion trade surplus for travel and tourism through November 2011.

There is no denying that the health of the travel and tourism industry impacts millions of Americans nation-wide and the council of these 32 advisors will play a significant role in ensuring that Brazilian, Chinese, and Indian travelers come see America!

Posted in Exporting, Manufacturing and Services, Services, Travel & Tourism | Tagged , | 2 Comments »

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Meeting the Challenge of Supply Chain Infrastructure Competitiveness

December 7, 2011

With the recent announcement of a new advisory committee on supply chain competitiveness, the Department of Commerce is looking to work closely with U.S. industry to identify ways of improving the movement of goods.

Russell Adise is an international trade specialist in the International Trade Administration’s Manufacturing and Services unit.

An important step in assuring the integrity of U.S. supply chain infrastructure was taken on November 3, 2011, when Secretary of Commerce John Bryson and Francisco Sánchez, under secretary of commerce for international trade, announced the establishment of the Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness. Through this committee, the secretary of commerce will receive guidance and input from supply-chain firms and associations, stakeholders, community organizations, and others directly affected by the supply chain, as well as experts from academia, from throughout the United States on the development and administration of programs and policies to expand U.S. export growth and foster the competitiveness of U.S. supply chains in the domestic and global economy.

Bayonne, New Jersey port looking over New York City and the Statue of Liberty (photo courtesy istock/Janine Lamontagne

Bayonne, New Jersey port looking over New York City and the Statue of Liberty (photo courtesy istock/Janine Lamontagne)

Crucial Link in Trade

U.S. supply chains are a crucial link between the country’s exporters and the global economy. Every export, and every export-related job, is dependent on the operations and processes that comprise the nation’s supply chains, from material sourcing, to product manufacturing, to consumer delivery. U.S. export competitiveness depends on the smooth, seamless, and rapid movement of goods through the supply chains from beginning to end. Any chokepoint can result in missed exports, lost sales, higher costs, and lost jobs.

The declining state of U.S. infrastructure has become an increasing challenge to exporters. Systemic, long-term infrastructure deficiencies have a dramatic, negative impact on the speed and predictability of the movements of goods around the country. Shippers blame this situation on the lack of a comprehensive national freight infrastructure development and investment policy. They also assert that the United States is not improving its infrastructure fast enough to keep pace with the export demands of 21st century supply chains.

These infrastructure deficiencies pose challenges not only to individual exporters, but also to the success of the National Export Initiative, a federal initiative established by President Barack Obama in 2010 to achieve his goal of doubling U.S. exports by the end of 2014.

Regional Outreach

The advisory committee is a key piece of a larger Department effort to address the challenges of supply chain infrastructure, organized by the International Trade Administration’s Office of Service Industries, a part of ITA’s Manufacturing and Services unit. In 2010, ITA spearheaded the creation of the Competitive Supply Chain Infrastructure Initiative. This brings together federal and private-sector stakeholders to develop policies that will improve the efficiency and connectivity of U.S. supply chain infrastructure. As part of the initiative, then-Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood signed a memorandum of understanding in April 2010.  It committed the two agencies to undertake a series of freight stakeholder outreach forums. Since September 2010, five such events have been held throughout the country: in Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; San Diego, California; Kansas City, Missouri; and Seattle, Washington. These have allowed the two federal agencies to widen their knowledge of each region’s top freight infrastructure issues. Additional events are planned for 2012.

How to Apply

U.S. citizens engaged in international trade or supply chain competitiveness issues are eligible to apply to be members of the new Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness. Nominations must be received by December 14, 2011. For more information, see the notice published in the Federal Register at 76 FR 68159 or contact Richard Boll of the International Trade Administration, tel. (202) 482-1135; e-mail: richard.boll@trade.gov.

Posted in Competitiveness, International Trade Update, Manufacturing and Services, Services, Supply Chain, Trade Advisory | Tagged , | Leave a Comment »

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APEC 2011: Twenty-One Markets, Unlimited Opportunities!

November 22, 2011

Stephen L. Green is a Commercial Officer on domestic assignment with the U.S. Export Assistance Center in Honolulu and has served with the International Trade Administration since 2000.

The United States just wrapped up their year of hosting  the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation(APEC) Summit and I was fortunate enough to be on hand in Hawaii for the finale. So, what’s left after the  Summit?  That is the burning question on the minds of all Hawaiian people as the largest event in the State’s history comes to a close.  Over the past week, dignitaries, officials, and business executives from APEC’s 21 member economies descended on Honolulu to discuss the path forward in expanding trade, investment, and economic growth in order to create employment and raise living standards across the region.  And, this was not just any group.  Combined, they represent 40 percent of the world’s population, 56 percent of global gross domestic product, and approximately 50 percent of international trade.  No, not just any group.  Rather, the world’s most powerful coalition of economies that have agreed upon promoting open trade and investment across a region spanning thousands of miles on both sides of the Pacific Ocean.  The United States, China, Japan, Russia, Canada, Mexico and 15 other major economies, they were all here in Honolulu last week.  What’s left after APEC?  I have plenty of answers.

Secretary Bryson presents a Certificate of Appreciation for Achievement in Trade to Lieutenant Governor Brian Schatz recognizing the State’s leadership in promoting the Hawaiian Islands as a destination for foreign travelers.

Secretary Bryson presents a Certificate of Appreciation for Achievement in Trade to Lieutenant Governor Brian Schatz recognizing the State’s leadership in promoting the Hawaiian Islands as a destination for foreign travelers.

For starters, Hawaii-based companies met new international business partners.  SKAI Ventures, one of our best clients, is now in deep discussions with a number of potential distributors met during APEC.  And, deals were done.  Sopogy, Inc., another one of our top clients, signed a memorandum of understanding with Sichuan Dongjia Investment Company outlining how this new partner will market Sopogy’s world-class micro concentrated solar power technology in China.  In addition to the business deals happening at APEC, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s senior leadership honored local businesses and brought the message of expanded exports to the local economy.  Recently-confirmed Secretary of Commerce John Bryson returned to his boyhood stomping grounds of Honolulu where he attended 7th grade at Kaimuki Middle School, this time for his first bilateral meetings with APEC counterparts on a range of trade and investment issues.  Secretary Bryson also presented two U.S. Department of Commerce Certificates of Appreciation for Achievement in Trade during his visit; one commending the Hawaii Pacific Export Council for its role in developing export opportunities for Hawaii-based companies and a second to Lieutenant Governor Brian Schatz recognizing the State’s leadership in achieving President Obama’s National Export Initiativegoals by promoting tourism in the Hawaiian Islands as a service export. 

Secretary Bryson presents a Certificate of Appreciation for Achievement in Trade to Hawaii Pacific Export Council (HPEC) Chairman Steve Craven commending HPEC’s role in developing export opportunities for Hawaii-based companies.

Secretary Bryson (center) presents a Certificate of Appreciation for Achievement in Trade to Hawaii Pacific Export Council (HPEC) Chairman Steve Craven commending HPEC’s role in developing export opportunities for Hawaii-based companies.

Our Under Secretary for International Trade Francisco Sánchez and Assistant Secretary for Market Access and Compliance Michael Camuñez with their Indonesian counterparts launched the first-ever U.S.-Indonesian Commercial Dialogue that will pay close attention to harmonizing standards in the energy sector.  And, Japan announced that it intends to join the 21st Century Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement that promises unprecedented opportunities for U.S. exporters doing business in the Asia-Pacific region.

The State of Hawaii has always been a surf-and-sand tropical paradise.  That won’t change after APEC but what APEC surely did is transform the Hawaiian Islands into an international commercial hub, where doing business beyond the reef is an everyday part of life.  Our office, the Hawaii U.S. Export Assistance Center, stands ready to make sure Hawaii companies take advantage of this new frontier.

Posted in APEC, Exporting, National Export Initiative, Services, Travel & Tourism | Tagged , | 3 Comments »

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Cross-Border Services Trade Data Available for 2010

November 22, 2011

David Moore is an economist in the Office of Trade and Industry Information within the International Trade Administration.

We talk a great deal about exports of goods, however, private services-producing industries have become an increasingly important share of the U.S. economy, rising from 48 percent of GDP in 1947 to nearly 69 percent in 2010. The largest growth sector over this period have been the finance, insurance, and real estate (FIRE) sector which rose from nearly 11 percent of GDP in 1947 to more than 21 percent in 2010. Professional and business services have also risen from just 3 percent of GDP in 1947 to more than 12 percent of GDP in 2010.

Services Trends as a Percent of GDP: 1947-2010.

From 1947 to 2010, the services sector’s share of GDP has risen from 48 percent to nearly 69 percent.

From 1947 to 2010, the services sector’s share of GDP has risen from 48 percent to nearly 69 percent.

Indeed, the casual observer wouldn’t be inaccurate in concluding that the U.S. is a post-industrial, services based economy. However, it’s only relatively recently that services have become an important source of export growth as well as these services that are integral to the U.S. economy are increasingly sought out by foreign buyers overseas. In the October 2011 Survey of Current Business, the Bureau of Economic Analysis has released the latest data for services in their article “U.S. International Services: Cross-Border Trade in 2010 and Services Supplied through Affiliates in 2009.” This report shows that in 2010, the U.S. sold a record $530.3 billion in services to the world, up 8.7 percent from the $487.9 billion exported in 2009.

Cross-Border U.S. Services Trade reached an all-time high in 2010

Cross-Border U.S. Services Trade reached an all-time high in 2010

In fact, as shown in the chart to the left, the U.S. is running a significant surplus in services trade. While the U.S. exported $530.3 billion in services in 2010, U.S. services imports totaled only $368.0 billion, causing the U.S. trade surplus in services to total $162.2 billion. When comparing these services numbers and trends with the U.S. deficit on trade in goods (which climbed to $645.9 billion in 2010), the United States has consistently generated a surplus in services trade, a noteworthy detail for those businesses that want to grow their service opportunities outside the United States.

The latest presentation on U.S. Trade in Services prepared by the Office of Trade and Industry Information is on our website.

Posted in Exporting, Manufacturing and Services, Services, Statistics, Trade Data | 2 Comments »

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Recent GAO Report Validates Optimization of ITA’s Manufacturing and Services Unit

October 25, 2011

Nicole Y. Lamb-Hale is the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Manufacturing and Services.

In the summer of 2010, the Manufacturing and Services unit (“MAS”) of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s (the “Department”) International Trade Administration (“ITA”) began an optimization process with the goal of leveraging our in-depth industry and analytical expertise in the development and execution of actionable, value-added trade policy and promotion strategies. Senior leadership initiated this process because of its belief that MAS’s mission and direction needed a sharper focus to more effectively serve the needs of U.S. industry, the White House and our interagency partners. This was especially critical in the context of implementing President Obama’s National Export Initiative (“NEI”) which aims to double exports by the end of 2014 to support several million jobs. As our optimization process was underway, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) began its review of MAS.

The GAO completed its review as MAS was submitting its optimization plan to the Department. We are pleased that the GAO identified many of the same opportunities and challenges that were identified by MAS senior leadership in our optimization process. Indeed, the GAO report validates the improvements that MAS is making in the focus and impact of our work. As an initial matter, the GAO report delineates the unique value add that MAS brings to trade policy and promotion as gleaned from the GAO’s review of the work in MAS’s portfolio and its interviews with MAS’s client agencies. The GAO notes that “[w]hile MAS conducts activities that have similarities to activities of other agencies, officials from MAS’s client agencies stated that MAS can provide analysis that combines industry and trade expertise that is not readily available elsewhere in government.” GAO Report 11-583 at 13. Indeed, one of the highlights of the report was the observation of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (“USTR”) that MAS contributes significant expertise and analysis to the U.S. trade policy process that cannot be found in other government agencies or in the private sector.

The GAO notes the value that MAS brings to the development of trade policy and promotion strategies and makes recommendations that are consistent with our current focus. MAS is providing more insightful and outcome oriented analysis of issues that impact the international competitiveness of U.S. industry for use by other U.S. government agencies and by industry. MAS is also improving our value add through the development and execution of actionable strategies to advance the global competitiveness of U.S. industry. Moreover, MAS has developed decision criteria for our employees to use as a guide to determine areas of focus and the concomitant allocation of resources. These operational changes, among others, will enable MAS to more clearly communicate our mission, priorities and activities to our constituents. Further, such changes will enable MAS to obtain feedback from our constituents and track our successes.

MAS is energized by our new orientation and welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with our constituents to help U.S. industries succeed internationally.

Posted in Competitiveness, Finance, Interagency, International Trade Administration, Manufacturing, Manufacturing and Services, National Export Initiative, Services | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment »

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International Education 101: Upcoming Education Mission to India

October 7, 2011

Carrie Bevis is an intern in the International Trade Administration’s Office of Public Affairs. She is a second-year student at the University of Virginia.

As a student attending a university with nearly 2,000 international students from more than 140 different countries, I know firsthand how much their experiences add to the richness of my education. As an intern in the International Trade Administration (ITA), I realize how crucial international education is as one of America’s leading service exports. In fact, international education is our fifth-largest service export, bringing in more than $17.8 billion each year from tuition and student living expenses (not including the number of students attending private universities, short-term training, and the like).

Therefore, the Department of Commerce is zeroing in on India for its next education mission October 10-15. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Trade Promotion and Director General for the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service (CS) Suresh Kumar will lead the delegation of representatives of 21 U.S. graduate schools and four-year undergraduate schools to learn more about the market and to recruit bright, promising students. The education mission will stopover in New Delhi, Chennai, and Mumbai where delegates will participate in student fairs to recruit students and develop relationships between U.S. institution and Indian consultants and institutions.  According to an Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange in 2010, nearly 105,000 international students from India studied in the U.S. last year. The majority attended graduate school programs, but the department expects a greater influx into U.S. undergrad programs in the coming years as well.

India’s enormous youth population is beginning to exceed the capacity of its current higher education system. Yet, higher education is a top priority within Indian homes. Accordingly, the Government of India expects its higher-education student population to nearly triple to 40 million students by 2020. Therefore, many Indian families are sending their children out of the country to finish their education, and their top choice is the United States.

U.S. institutions value diversity and varying prospective and insight from students around the world. On behalf of the ITA, I’d like to welcome international students to American universities. You’re in for the academic and personal learning experience of your life!

 

 

Posted in Exporting, Trade Missions, Commercial Service, International Trade Administration, Services | Tagged , , | 4 Comments »

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How Successful Trade Missions are Recruited: Selecting U.S. Franchisors for India

April 15, 2011

Tatyana Aguirre currently serves as a Senior International Trade Assistant for the Irvine U.S. Export Assistance Center in California

When you work as an international trade assistant for Global Franchise Team Leader Kristin Houston, there is never dull moment. Today is the final day for the first ever franchising trade mission to India and as I look back, I see the efforts of trade specialists from around the globe who made this five-day, three-city mission possible.

Nicole Y. Lamb-Hale (center) with the India Franchise Trade Mission Delegation

Nicole Y. Lamb-Hale (center) with the India Franchise Trade Mission Delegation

As we began recruitment efforts for the U.S. Franchising Trade Mission to India, I soon learned that expectations were very high on both ends. We had high expectations for bringing highly notable and recognizable U.S. companies to India and U.S. firms expected to make strategic partnerships with the right people in India.

Recruitment involved outreach to clients who had a franchising concept desired in India. Working with our team in India, we concluded that a majority of the expected growth will be in the food & beverage, wellness, and education sectors.

Initially, capacity for the mission was for 12 U.S. franchisers to participate in this unprecedented opportunity based on a first-come basis and those with the greatest probability of success. But as applications from some of the most globally known brands, such as Denny’s, Johnny Rocket’s, Applebee’s, and Wendy’s, came in, we knew we had to extend it to 15. Once the final participants were chosen, we collected company profiles and global investor criteria for each firm to ensure that we could arrange appropriate and productive meetings for them with investors who would meet their expectation and desires.

We prepared U.S. firms participating in this Trade Mission to India by providing them with the Country Commercial Guide for India, which are prepared annually by U.S. embassies with the assistance of several U.S. government agencies. These reports present a comprehensive look at countries’ commercial environments, using economic, political and market analysis. We also provided them with market industry reports on the franchising market in India as well as an Intellectual Property Rights Toolkit. Representatives also received a cultural & business etiquette guide to prepare them for doing business in India as well as airline flight and hotel suggestions with preferential pricing, and arranged ground transportation. But most importantly, we scheduled conference calls with our team in India, local trade specialists, and each client to discuss strategy for entering India.

Expectations of the U.S. firms participating were to build qualified and critical partnerships with key players in the Indian market. And through it all, I am happy to report that we exceeded all expectations. Through this mission, we provided more than 300 one-on-one meetings with prospective investors, launched a nation-wide advertising campaign, arranged lucrative networking events with franchisees, site visits to strategic franchisee outlets and locations, and provided first hand opportunity to assess the real potential in India.

It took a global team and months of hard work to pull this mission together, however, this is just the beginning. Most firms on the mission will come back with dozens of prospective contacts and business interest and maybe when you visit Mumbai or Hyderabad, you can dine on an all-American burger at Johnny Rocket’s.

Posted in Commercial Service, Competitiveness, Exporting, International Trade Administration, Services, Trade Missions | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments »

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Day 4 — Education Trade Mission in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City

April 6, 2011

Amanda Lawrence is an intern working with the U.S. Commercial Service to support the Education Mission to Indonesia and Vietnam.

Everyone is very excited to kick off the Vietnam stops of the Education Mission! Yesterday was a travel day and it was nice to briefly relax before embarking on our busy day today in Ho Chi Minh City. First thing this morning we attended a market briefing session with U.S. Commercial, U.S. Consular, and EducationUSA officials. Under Secretary Sánchez welcomed us to Ho Chi Minh City and spoke of the strong growth of Vietnamese students to the United States, an average of over 30 percent in the past five years! A briefing roundtable discussed the education environment in Vietnam.

After the briefings, we all attended an Education Partnering Workshop at the Rex Hotel. The workshop consisted of roundtable discussions as well as opportunities to network with local schools hoping to create partnerships. Next, interested schools participated in matchmaking sessions with education agents. There many agencies represented and the mission participants were very pleased with the business relationships they established as a result of these meetings.

We spent the rest of the day at the student fair. The Institute of International Education organized the event, which consisted of 56 exhibitors and 1,000 participants. Each trade mission participant exhibited at the fair and met with students and parents.  They also had the choice to meet with local universities, potential recruitment partners, or have high school visits. Despite our very busy schedule, participants were very pleased with today’s meetings and fair.

Posted in Competitiveness, Exporting, International Trade Administration, Services, Trade Shows and Trade Events, Vietnam | 2 Comments »

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Day 3 — Education Symposium and Matchmaking in Jakarta

April 4, 2011

Amanda Lawrence is an intern working with the U.S. Commercial Service to support the Education Mission to Indonesia and Vietnam.

This morning, mission participants attended a Symposium on US-Indonesian Higher Education Partnership & Exchange at the Sampoerna Strategic Square. U.S. and Indonesian government officials discussed the importance of educational ties and improving bilateral education partnerships. Education sector executives who were also present spoke on the current industry climate.  

After the symposium, the mission participants also attended several breakout sessions depending on their interests. U.S. Commercial service staff arranged one-on-one matchmaking sessions for many schools interested in meeting student recruitment agencies.  School representatives also had an opportunity to meet with local universities and explore partnership prospects.  Lastly, several school representatives visited local high schools and met with administrators, counselors, teachers, and students.

Ambassador Marciel hosted the participants at his residence for a farewell reception this evening. Many of the representatives were thrilled with the day’s events and the reception. “The US Ambassadors reception was a great event as shows the commitment  the US government has to welcome Indonesian students to study in  the USA,” said Joseph Indrawan of the University of Buffalo.  John Lorentz of Shawnee State University agreed, “a productive mission that will lead to increased educational connections between the US and Indonesia, a mission crowned with a superb reception at the US  Ambassadors residence.”

Posted in Exporting, International Trade Administration, Services, Trade Missions | Tagged , | 1 Comment »

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