Environmental Technologies Industries
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Market Plans

Thailand Environmental Export Market Plan
Appendix VII
Other U.S. Government Export Assistance Programs


U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Environmental Technologies Exports
http://infoserv2.ita.doc.gov/ete
The U.S. Department of Commerce's Office of Environmental Technologies Exports provides U.S. firms with counseling, and market and project information. It also promotes U.S. environmental exports by leading environmental business missions around the world. The office publishes Environmental Technology Exports: A Guide to U.S. Government Resources. For more information, contact: Tel: 202-482-5225; Fax: 202-482-5665.

U.S. Department of Commerce, Multilateral Development Bank Operations
http://www.ita.doc.gov/mdbo/
The Multilateral Development Bank Operations (MDBO) staff within the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) offers counseling and referrals for businesses seeking contracts with the Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs). Some of the services they provide are:
MDBO draws upon the DOC's global network of commercial experts dedicated to finding international business opportunities for U.S. firms. In 71 U.S. cities and 134 locations abroad, trade professionals work closely with the MDB offices, government agencies, multiplier organizations, and private businesses to secure the latest information on overseas contracts and export financing options.

Contacts: Multilateral Development Bank Operations, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW, Room
H-1806, Washington, DC 20230; TEL: (202) 482-3399; FAX: (202) 273-0927.
The MDBO has representation in both the World Bank and the Asia Development Bank.

Export-Import Bank of the United States
http://www.exim.gov
The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) is an independent U.S. Government agency that helps finance the overseas sales of U.S. goods and services. Its mission is to create jobs through exports. It provides guarantees of working capital loans for U.S. exporters, guarantees repayment of loans, and makes loans to foreign purchasers of U.S. goods and services. Ex-Im Bank also provides credit insurance that protects U.S. exporters against the risks of nonpayment by foreign buyers for political or commercial reasons. It must always have a reasonable assurance of repayment.

Ex-Im Bank provides short-, medium- and long-term programs to support U.S. exports to Thailand. It's exposure in Thailand is currently over $1.1 billion, concentrated in power, transportation, telecommunications, and manufac-turing. For public sector transactions, Ex-Im Bank generally requires the guarantee of the Ministry of Finance, but it will accept public sector entities on their own if they are creditworthy. For private sector transactions, Ex-Im Bank may require another financial institution to act as either the guarantor or obligor.
Medium- and Long-Term Guarantee Program. This program offers coverage of up to 85 percent of the U.S. export value. In general, medium-term transactions have repayment terms of 2 to 5 years and an Ex-Im Bank liability of up to $10 million; long-term transactions have payment terms of 5 years or more and an Ex-Im Bank liability in excess of $10 million.
Insurance Programs. Ex-Im Bank's insurance programs protect U.S. exporters from loss if a foreign buyer defaults for political or commercial reasons. With an Ex-Im Bank policy, exporters can also obtain financing more easily because, with approval from Ex-Im Bank, the proceeds of the policy can be assigned to a financial institution as collateral. For more information, see http://www.exim.gov/minsprog.html.
Working Capital Guarantee. Repayment guarantees of 90 percent of the principal and interest on secured, short-term working capital loans are provided to lenders. The loan can be approved for a single loan or a revolving line of credit. The loan may be used for pre-export activities such as the purchase of inventory, raw materials, or manufacture of a product. For more information, see http://www.exim.gov/mworkcap.html.Project Finance. Projects that are dependent on project cash flows for repayment are financed. These projects do not rely on the typical export credit agency security package that has recourse to a foreign government, financial institution, or established corporation to meet payment requirements. For more information, see http://www.exim.gov/mpfprogs.html.
Environmental Exports Program. This program provides enhanced levels of support for a broad range of environmental exports. The main features of the program are a short-term environmental export insurance policy that will provide enhanced short-term, multibuyer and single-buyer insurance coverage for small business environmental exporters. Features of the program include policies that deliver 95 percent commercial coverage and 100 percent political coverage with no deductible. Another feature is enhanced medium- and long-term support for environmental projects, products, and services, including local cost coverage equal to 15 percent of the U.S. contract price, capitalization of interest during construction, and maximum allowable repayment terms permissible under the guidelines of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. For more information, call Ex-Im Bank or see http://www.exim.gov/envprogs.html.

Contact: Sources of Information: The environmental export program's point of contact is Craig O’Connor, Environmental Liaison Officer, (202) 565-3939. Ex-Im Bank has a special U.S. toll-free number—(800) 565-EXIM—to provide information on the availability and use of its programs. The worldwide number is (202) 565-3946, and the local number is (202) 565-EXIM. The bulletin board server number is (202) 565-3826. The fax retrieval number is (800) 565-EXIM. The internet address is www.exim.gov. Ex-Im Bank offers briefing programs that are available to the business community. The program includes regular seminars, group briefings, and individual discussion held both at Ex-Im Bank and around the country. For a seminar brochure and scheduling information, call (202) 565-3912 or FAX (202) 565-3723.

Overseas Private Investment Corporation
The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) supports, finances, and insures projects that have a positive effect on U.S. employment, are financially sound, and promise significant benefits to the social and economic development of the host country.

OPIC assists American investors through four principal activities designed to promote overseas investment and reduce the associated risks:
-Financing overseas business through loans and loan guarantees
-Supporting private investment funds that provide equity for U.S. companies investing in projects overseas
-Insuring investments against a broad range of political risks
-Engaging in outreach activities designed to inform the American business community of investment opportunities overseas
Loans and Loan Guarantees
Project Finance. OPIC can provide medium- and long-term project financing in countries where conventional financial institutions often are reluctant or unable to lend on such a basis. OPIC will not participate in projects that can secure adequate financing from commercial sources.
Loan Guarantees. OPIC’s loan guarantees are best suited for projects over $10 million. These loan guarantees cover 100 percent of both commercial and political risks.
Investment Funds
OPIC finances several privately owned and managed direct investment funds that can provide equity capital for business formation and expansion. Additionally, the Environmental Enterprises Development Initiative fund invests solely in new or expanding companies that improve the natural environment.Investment Insurance
OPIC provides political risk insurance to U.S. investors, contractors, exporters, and financial institutions involved in international transactions. OPIC insures U.S. investments in developing countries against three types of political risks: (1) political violence, (2) expropriation without fair compensation, and (3) inconvertibility of currency. OPIC also provides coverage for institutional loans, leases, and technical assistance rights and property, as well as contractors’ exposure in connection with bid and performance bonds, custom bonds, equipment, and other risks.

Environmental Enterprises Development Initiative
This initiative, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) through the United States-Asia Environmental Partnership is intended to promote environmental improvement in Asia through the creation of environmental enterprises, technology transfer, and capital mobilization. The initiative provides pre-investment assistance to U.S. companies to establish or expand environmental operations in Asia. The initiative provides for evaluating the commercial viability of proposed investments throughout the region, including market-entry assessments, business plans, investor reviews, technology checks, and prototype implementation. OPIC’s maximum participation is limited to $100,000 per project, and the project sponsor is required to contribute at least 50 percent of the cost of the study.

Contact: For more information on the Environmental Enterprises Development Initiative, contact Bosworth Dewey, EEDI Program Officer, at (202) 336-8658, or Richard Greenberg, Manager, Investor Services, at (202) 336-8616. OPIC maintains an automated system to provide callers with general information on OPIC’s programs 24 hours a day. For information, call OPIC InfoLine, (202) 336-8799.

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency
The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (TDA) is a small, commercially oriented foreign assistance agency focusing on middle-income and developing countries. TDA promotes the use of American goods and services in capital infrastructure projects. It funds studies to determine the technical, economic, and financial feasibility of major development projects. U.S. companies or consortia must perform the studies, and U.S. companies must have an opportunity to bid on procurement contracts associated with the projects. The projects’ potential for increasing U.S. exports is a critical criterion in determining whether funding of the feasibility study is approved. Additionally, TDA has trust funds at the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation.
U.S. Company Involvement. TDA’s primary activity is to provide grants for feasibility studies of major infrastructure projects. These studies must be carried out by U.S. companies, thus positioning them from the early stages of project development to win contracts on the project. Two primary ways of using this program are to bid on and obtain a contract to do a feasibility study, or to follow the progress of a study to determine procurement opportunities within the project.
Procurement Opportunities. If a study is being performed on a project that might call for your product, contact the company performing the study and ascertain that written specifications allow competition for procurement contracts. Additionally, feasibility studies often include procurement plans and equipment lists which can be used to target marketing efforts on a particular project or evaluate the potential market in a particular country.

Contact: To learn about upcoming feasibility studies, subscribe to the TDA Pipeline by calling Applied Logistics International, (540) 720-2129 or the Congressional Information Bureau at (703) 516-4801. It is also available free from the TDA home page at www.tda.gov.

United States-Asian Environmental Partnership
The United States-Asian Environmental Partnership (US-AEP) was initiated in 1992 and operates under the management of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Core funding has been authorized for more than $130 million to date, and this funding has been augmented by other organizations in the United States and Thailand. The three major components of US-AEP are Clean Technology and Environmental Management (CTEM); Environmental Infrastructure in Urban Areas (EIU); and a Framework of Policies, Constituencies, and Public Awareness for sustaining clean production.

US-AEP offers a number of programs designed to support U.S. firms developing environmental businesses in Asia. For further information on US-AEP programs, contact:

Environmental Technology Network for Asia, CTIS, 515 22nd Street, NW, SA-2, Room 100, Washington, DC 20523-0229; TEL: (800) 818-9911; FAX: (202) 663-2760; E-MAIL: usasia@usaep.org.
American Consulting Engineers Council, 1015 15th Street, NW, Suite 802, Washington, DC 20005; TEL: (202) 347-7474; FAX: (202) 842-2436; Lynne Dmaon, Senior Program Manager; E–MAIL: Idamon@acec.org.
American Consulting Engineers Council, Thomas Jefferson Cultural Center, 1st Fl., 395 Sen. Gil J. Puyat Avenue, Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines TEL: (632) 899-7328; Philip Costas, Asia Regional Director; E–MAIL: pcostas@pacific.net.ph.

United States-AEP/NASDA Environmental Technology Fund
The US-AEP/NASDA Environmental Technology Fund was established in 1992 to encourage U.S. environmental companies to explore Asian markets, especially those of developing countries. The program’s objective is to generate business relationships that contribute to economic development and help meet the environmental challenges facing the nations and territories of Asia. The fund can provide matching grants to U.S. companies to undertake innovative projects aimed directly at stimulating environmental business activity in Asia. The program, operated by the National Association of State Development Agencies (NASDA) for US-AEP with funding from USAID, has assisted over 300 companies in addressing environmental needs in Asia.

NASDA administers the Tech Fund for a broad range of projects in more than 20 Asian countries. During the four-year operation of the program, grants have funded over 200 projects from 46 states generating over $300 million in revenues. More than 50 projects involving more than 70 U.S. companies have targeted Thailand. These companies have generated over $3 million in sales in projects that range from wastewater treatment to air pollution control technologies, from energy efficiency to recycling. The program scope is expanding over the course of the next few years, with a greater emphasis on funding projects in this area. The US-AEP/NASDA Environmental Technology Fund offers an attractive incentive to U.S. environmental firms to transfer their innovative technologies to the vast market in Asia.

Contact: For more information about the program and application process, contact NASDA Environmental Technology Fund, 750 First Street, NE, Suite 710, Washington, DC 20002; TEL: (202) 898-1302; FAX: (202) 898-1312.

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