U.S. Department of Commerce
14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20230
Tel: (202) 482-2000
Internet home page: http://www.doc.gov
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s office of Environ-mental Technologies Exports (ETE) provides U.S. firms with counseling, market, and project information. The office also promotes U.S. environmental exports by leading environmental business missions around the world. ETE publishes Environmental Technology Exports: A Guide to U.S. Government Resources. For more information, call (202) 482-5225; Fax: (202) 482-5665; Internet home page: http://infoserv. 2.ita.doc.gov/ete.
Other Commerce Department programs of interest include the following:
Advocacy Center, which promotes U.S. firms through advocacy by high-level U.S. Government officials and tracks environmental projects worldwide. For more information, call (202) 482-3896; Fax: (202) 482-3508.
Trade Information Center (TIC), which is a compre-hensive resource for information on all federal government export assistance programs. Center staff provide small- to medium-sized U.S. companies that are new to export or new to market with one-on-one counseling. For more information, call 1 (800) USA- TRADE [(800) 872-8723] or (202) 482-0543; Fax: (202) 482-4473; Internet home page: http://www.ita.doc.gov/tic.
Multilateral Development Bank Operations, which provides the U.S. exporting community with comprehensive information on all multilateral development bank programs and opportunities. In addition, it manages the commercial officers assigned to each development bank. For more information, call (202) 482-3399; Fax: (202) 273-0927; Internet home page: http://www.ita.doc.gov/mdbo.
Export Assistance Centers (EACs), which are a joint effort of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service, the Small Business Administration, the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank), and (in one site) the U.S. Agency for International Development. EAC staff members provide one-on-one counseling to small- and medium-sized export-ready businesses by evaluating the needs of clients and helping them develop customized international business strategies. Offices are located throughout the United States. See appendix I for the nearest EAC.
Copies of U.S. Department of Commerce publications and other trade information are available through the National Trade Data Bank.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of International Technology Transfer Activities
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
Tel: (202) 260-2087
Fax: (202) 260-4470
Internet home page: http:// www.epa.gov
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s international water-related programs are coordinated through its Office of International Technology Transfer Activities. This office promotes the sale and implementation of U.S. environmental technology by contributing to the development of environmental institutions and by providing technical assistance, especially to developing countries.
Export-Import Bank of the United States
811 Vermont Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20571
Tel: 1 (800) 565-EXIM
Fax: (202) 565-3380
Internet home page: http://www.exim.gov
The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) provides guarantees of working capital loans for U.S. exporters, and it guarantees the repayment of loans or 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. Ex-Im Bank does not compete with commercial lenders, but it assumes the risks they cannot accept. Borrowers must be creditworthy entities in countries eligible for Ex-Im Bank financing. They must always have a reasonable assurance of repayment. The product or service must have at least 50 percent U.S. content and must not affect the U.S. economy adversely. Ex-Im Bank will not finance military items. Under certain conditions, Ex-Im Bank can cover local costs and interest capitalization.
Ex-Im Bank also has several programs to help small businesses. It has designed a special environmental exports program that will provide enhanced levels of support for a broad range of environmental exports. The program demonstrates Ex-Im Bank’s resolve to reach out to small and large exporters of environmental products and services. The major features of the program are:
Enhanced medium- and long-term support for environmental projects, products, and services. These enhancements, which are reflected in Ex-Im Bank loan and guarantee programs, include 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.
Short-term environmental export insurance policy. Companies that export environmentally beneficial products and services on terms up to 180 days or less may qualify for Ex-Im Bank’s Environmental Export Policy. This will provide 95 percent coverage against commercial losses and 100 percent coverage against political losses, with no deductible. Products must be U.S. manufactured and consist of at least 51 percent U.S. content and service. Services covered under the policy must be from entirely U.S. sources. The Ex-Im Bank has no minimum or maximum size for its financing and is interested in financing even small projects of $50,000 or less.
Overseas Private Investment Corporation
1100 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20527
Tel: (202) 336-8799
Fax: (202) 408-5155
Internet home page: http://www.opic.gov
The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) finances medium- to long-term investment projects through loan guarantees and direct loans. Direct loans are geared to small businesses or cooperatives and usually range between $2 million and $10 million. Loan guarantees range between $10 million and $100 million, but in certain instances can be as high as $200 million. OPIC also sponsors growth funds that cover Africa, the Asia-Pacific region, Russia, Poland, Israel, and the environmental sector. The agency is planning to develop growth funds for Latin America, South Asia, and the Middle East.
OPIC protects U.S. business activities in emerging markets through its investment insurance programs against (1) currency inconvertibility (the inability to convert profits, debt service, and other investment remittances from local currency to U.S. dollars); (2) expropriation (loss of investment as a result of expropriation, nationalization, or confiscation by a foreign government); and (3) political instability because of war, revolution, or civil strife. The insurance programs also can be used to cover expanding investments.
Projects financed by OPIC must meet a number of U.S. Government criteria. These include commercial viability, U.S. job creation and exports, innovative support of U.S. foreign policy initiatives, and strict adherence to international worker rights and environmental standards. OPIC does not rely on a government guarantee.
U.S. investors usually must have at least 25 percent equity participation in the project. As a rule, at least 51 percent of overseas venture should be in the hands of the private sector (exceptions include majority government-held projects managed by U.S. firms). OPIC does not have country exposure limits but requires that a host country approve any involvement in the project.
U.S. Small Business Administration
Office of International Trade
409 Third Street, SW
Washington, DC 20416
Tel: (202) 205-6720
Fax: (202) 205-7272
Internet home page: http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov
The U.S Small Business Administration (SBA) provides assistance through its International Trade Loan Guarantee Program, which offers loan guarantees up to $1 million for facilities and equipment to be used in the United States and up to $250,000 for working capital. International Trade Loans may be used to acquire, construct, renovate, modernize, improve, or expand facilities and equipment to produce goods and services involved in international trade and to develop and penetrate foreign markets. To qualify for these loans, a business must show that it will significantly expand existing export markets and develop new export markets, demonstrate that it has been adversely affected by import competition, and show that upgrading facilities or equipment will improve the applicant’s competitive position or that a business plan reasonably supports projected export sales.
The Business Loan Guarantee Program is designed to encourage private lenders to make loans of up to $750,000 to borrowers who could not borrow on reasonable terms (long-term maturities, not lower interest rates) without government help. Through the Ex-Im Bank–SBA Joint Guarantee Program, the agencies have developed a program of coguarantees specifically geared for small business exporters and export trading companies. The coguarantees cover loans up to 85 percent in principal amounts ranging from $200,000 to $1 million.
Export Working Capital (EWC) loans may be used to acquire inventory, to pay manufacturing costs of goods for exports, for credit, for preshipment working capital, and for postshipment foreign accounts receivable financing. To qualify for these loans, the applicant must be a small business, independently owned and operated and in business for at least one year at the time of the application, and the desired credit must not be available on the reasonable terms from nonfederal sources. For EWC loans, applicants must submit cash flow projections to support the need for the loan and the ability to repay. The borrower must provide SBA collateral sufficient to cover 100 percent of the EWC loan.
U.S. Trade and Development Agency
1621 N. Kent Street
Suite 300
Arlington, VA 22209-2131
Tel: (703) 875-4357
Fax: (703) 875-4009
e-mail: info@tda.gov
Internet home page: http://www.tda.gov
The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (TDA) is an independent federal agency with over $40 million dedicated to helping U.S. companies identify overseas business opportunities in developing countries and respond to foreign competition. TDA sponsors feasibility studies, definitional missions, and desk studies for major public and private sector projects to promote the use of U.S. goods and services in project implementation.
Funding from the agency usually ranges from $150,000 to $750,000 for public sector projects. TDA also finances technical assistance grants that support activities to foster the use of U.S. technical assistance in projects. Other funds available for feasibility studies and other project development-related activities include technical assistance trust funds available through the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation. TDA sponsors conferences and reverse trade missions (called orientation visits) that put U.S. industry representatives in contact with in-country key decisionmakers. In addition, TDA publishes TDA Pipeline, its biweekly newsletter that highlights new definitional missions, feasibility study opportunities (also advertised in Commerce Business Daily), TDA/World Bank Project announcements, and upcoming orientation visits and conferences, as well as other valuable information.
International Finance Corporation
1801 K Street, NW
Washington, DC 20433
Tel: (202) 473-0642
Fax: (202) 334-8705
Internet home page: http://www.ifc.org
U.S. Commercial Liaison
Office of the U.S. Executive Director
Tel: (202) 458-0120
Fax: (202) 477-2967
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) provides both loan and equity finance to private sector projects that are unable to obtain financing from other sources on reasonable terms. IFC also offers quasi-equity and financial risk management products. It raises additional funds from foreign commercial banks through its loan participation program. It helps individual corporations in developing countries to tap the international capital markets. IFC also raises funds from institutional investors through underwriting arrangements for public offerings or the private placement of shares, debentures, and other corporate securities.
Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency
1818 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20433
Tel: (202) 473-6163
Fax: (202) 522-2630
Internet home page: http://www.miga.org
U.S. Commercial Liaison
Office of the U.S. Executive Director
Tel: (202) 458-0120
Fax: (202) 477-2967
The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) was established in 1988, as part of the World Bank Group, to encourage the flow of foreign direct investment in developing member countries. It provides investment guarantees against the risks of currency transfer, expropriation, and war and civil disturbance ("political risks"). MIGA also provides investment guarantees against certain noncommercial risks (that is, political risk insurance) to foreign investors in developing member countries. The program is designed to complement national and private investment insurance schemes.
The Investment Marketing Services Department is MIGA's principal instrument for providing technical assistance in investment promotion to member countries. It helps to promote foreign direct investment and to disseminate information about investment opportunities in developing and transitional economies.
World Bank
1818 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20433
Tel: (202) 458-5454
Fax: (202) 522-1500
Internet home page: http://www.worldbank.org.
U.S. Commercial Liaison
Office of the U.S. Executive Director
Tel: (202) 458-0120
Fax: (202) 477-2967
The World Bank is the multilateral development banks' largest financier of water and wastewater projects. It also publishes numerous publications, including Environment Matters, summarizing its environmental operations. The World Bank conducts one-day seminars on upcoming business opportunities developing within the bank. The program includes strategies on how to keep informed about projects and upcoming contracts, and how to pursue foreign investment opportunities. The World Bank publishes Facing the Global Challenge: A Progress Report on the World Bank Global Environment Operations, which summarizes the bank's portfolio of environmental projects.
Trust funds are available from the bank to finance feasibility studies, preparation, and appraisal activities. The release of these funds for projects must be country driven; individual firms cannot request funds.
