Chapter 11 - Government Export Assistance Programs
Chapter 11 - Government Export Assistance Programs
Key Agencies and Organizations
U.S. government agencies and departments actively support programs to help environmental firms compete and expand in the Asia-Pacific region including Korea. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), primarily through the U.S.-Asia Environmental Partnership (US-AEP), plays the largest role in providing technical assistance and promoting the transfer of environmental technologies to Korea. The Department of Commerce also plays a key role in promoting environmental technology exports. Other U.S. government agencies, including Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Energy (DOE), and Small Business Administration (SBA), also have export promotion activities, but these are mostly in cooperation with USAID.
United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/U.S.-Asia Environmental Partnership (US-AEP). The United-States-Asia Environmental Partnership (US-AEP) is an interagency program led by USAID. US-AEP was established in 1992 to assist in addressing environmental degradation and sustainable development issues in Asia and the Pacific by mobilizing U.S. environmental experience, technology, and services. US-AEP’s technology transfer activities are designed to fulfill some of Asia’s environmental needs in a way that is mutually beneficial to Asian and American partners. Its technology transfer services include trade leads, business counseling, market research, grants, exchanges, and product promotion.
United States Department of Commerce (DOC). DOC encourages, serves, and promotes the nation’s international trade, economic growth, and technical advancement. DOC assistance in developing environmental markets includes industry and foreign market information, trade leads, technical information on export licenses and international standards, trade show and mission support, export counseling, and other business advisory services. The International Trade Administration (ITA), DOC’s division charged with foreign commercial operations, provides extensive assistance to help U.S. companies secure environmental market opportunities through U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service (US&FCS) trade specialists. The Environmental Technologies Exports (ETE) office is the principal contact within ITA that can link industry to programs and resources supporting exports of U.S. environmental technologies.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA’s primary goal is to mitigate the adverse impacts of pollution on human health and the environment. EPA is one of the partner members of US-AEP. In addition to managing national environmental affairs, EPA helps U.S. firms take advantage of international environmental market opportunities.
Department of Energy (DOE). DOE supports the administration’s export promotion efforts to advance international commercial activities of U.S. energy firms. This effort spans a broad range of commercial, foreign policy, and technical assistance that already has involved thousands of U.S. companies throughout the energy sector. Assistance is provided in the following areas: natural gas, oil, and coal; electric power generation; alternative and renewable energy technologies; energy conservation, energy efficiency, and environmental technologies.
Small Business Administration (SBA). SBA offers financial assistance, counseling, export workshops, and training for U.S. exporters. SBA helps firms enter international environmental markets by providing loans and loan guarantees for equipment, facilities, materials, working capital, and business development support for selected export market development activities. International trade officers located in districts throughout the United States can refer small businesses to SBA, state, and federal resources.
Environmental Export Assistance Programs
Environmental Technologies Industries (ETI)/ITA/Department of Commerce.ETE serves as the primary point of contact for environmental technology export information and assistance at the Department of Commerce, in coordination with programs throughout the federal government. In addition to implementing the National Environmental Technologies Export Strategy, the ETE staff provide information on market research and trends; specific overseas market opportunities in the environmental sector; upcoming trade promotion events; and key contacts.
Contact:
Environmental Technologies Industries
ITA / Department of Commerce
1401 Constitution Ave., NW, Room 1003
Washington, DC 20230
Tel: (202) 482-1500; Fax: (202) 482-5665
Internet: http://www.environment.ita.doc.gov
The U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service (US&FCS)/ITA/Department of Commerce. The mission of the US&FCS is to support U.S. firms especially small and medium-sized companies in their efforts to increase exports. Located at U.S. embassies overseas, Washington, D.C. headquarters, and district offices throughout the country, US&FCS offices maintain a worldwide service delivery network in the United States and 76 countries overseas. The global capabilities of US&FCS provide seamless service ranging from basic market research to arranging meetings with potential foreign buyers. Contact should be initiated through US&FCS district offices.
Contacts:
US&FCS Environmental Trade Programs
Department of Commerce
1401 Constitution Ave., NW, Room 3128
Washington, DC 20230
Tel: (202) 482-3922, Fax: (202) 482-3159
Mitchel I. Auerbach, Commercial Attache
U.S. Embassy / Commercial Service
82 Sejong-ro, Chongro-ku
Seoul 110-050, Korea
Tel: (82-2) 397-4655, Fax: (82-2) 737-5357
Internet: http://www.cskorea-doc.gov
For the address and phone number of the nearest U.S. Department of Commerce district office, call 1-800-USA-TRADE(3) (1-800-872-8723). Internet: http://www.ita.doc.gov/uscs
United States-Asia Environmental Partnership (US-AEP)/USAID.US-AEP brings together the activities and resources of government, industry, and non-governmental institutions to offer U.S. exporters of environmental technology access to Asian market resources, including leads on environmental market opportunities, feasibility and pre-feasibility project assistance, and access to various grant and exchange programs. U.S. companies can also receive business counseling and training for employees and foreign customers. US-AEP currently works with governments and industries in eleven target economies: Korea, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Contacts:
US-AEP HEADQUARTERS
United States
Mr. Peter Kimm
Executive Director
US-AEP/USAID
1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, 4th Floor
Washington, DC 20523 USA
Tel: 1-202-712-4156
Fax: 1-202-216-3379
E-mail: usasia@usaep.org
Website: www.usaep.org
Asia
Mr. Dennis Zvinakis
Regional Director
RMC Building, 17th Floor
1680 Roxas Boulevard 1004
Malate, Manila, Philippines
Tel: 632-522-4411 ext.4460
Fax: 632-521-5241
E-mail: dzvinakis@usaid.gov
Korea
Mr. Mitchel Auerbach,
Acting Director
Leema Building, Suite 1405
146-1, Susong-dong, Chongro-Ku
Seoul, Korea 110-140
Tel: 82-2-397-4114, 82-2-397-4587
Fax: 82-2-734-6559
E-mail: Mitchel.Auerbach@mail.doc.gov
Je.Ha.Yang@mail.doc.gov
Environmental Technology Network for Asia (ETNA)/US-AEP/USAID.The Environmental Technology Network for Asia (ETNA) is a U.S. government-sponsored clearinghouse that collects environmental trade leads from the Asia/Pacific region and disseminates them to U.S. environmental technology and services firms. Established in 1993, ETNA is an initiative of the United States-Asia Environmental Partnership (US-AEP) and the Global Technology Network (GTN) of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). In cooperation with the U.S. Department of Commerce, US-AEP has placed Environmental Technology Representatives in 11 Asian countries to identify trade opportunities for U.S. companies and coordinate meetings between potential Asian and U.S. business partners. These environmental trade specialists meet regularly with decision-makers in industry and government in order to prepare concise trade leads that identify Asian buyers, environmental concerns, and proposed technology solutions. These leads are forwarded to ETNA, where they are matched against a database of over 2,700 registered U.S. companies, and then faxed to those companies that provide the requested technology or service. ETNA also provides business counseling to U.S. environmental companies interested in expanding into Asia, and provides market trend analysis on each providing country. Any U.S.-owned environmental firm is eligible to receive free trade leads. Companies may register online, or they may contact ETNA to register.
Contact:
Environmental Technology Network for Asia
US-AEP
1720 Eye St NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20006, USA
Tel: 1-800-818-9911
Fax: 1-202-835-8358
Internet: http://www.usaep.org/ouractiv/etna.htm
Office of International Activities (OIA)/U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). OIA serves as EPA’s principal point of contact on international environmental matters with other federal agencies and international organizations such as US-AEP or INFOTERRA, the United Nations Environmental Program’s environmental information-sharing network. In this capacity, EPA disseminates key information on vendors, implementation of environmental regulations, regional environmental initiatives, and sound governmental technologies through its extensive collection of manuals, directories, clearinghouses, and databases. Foreign companies can contact EPA for directories and databases on U.S. companies offering environmental technologies and services. OIA also oversees the EPA’s international travel and visitors programs, which often serve as a springboard for building or strengthening environmental institutions abroad and set the foundation for mutually beneficial future exchanges.
Contact:
Asia Program Manager
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M St., SW
Washington, DC 20460
Tel: (202) 564-6447
Fax: (202) 260-3923
