[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 130 (Wednesday, July 8, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36872-36873]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-18000]


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Notices
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
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statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
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Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 130 / Wednesday, July 8, 1998 / 
Notices

[[Page 36872]]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Foreign Agricultural Service


Foreign Currencies Available for the Development of Foreign 
Markets

AGENCY: Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Foreign Agricultural Service (``FAS'') invites proposals 
from interested parties to use Tunisian or Moroccan currencies acquired 
by the United States government for market development projects and 
technical assistance activities in those countries. These currencies 
were acquired pursuant to agreements under title I of the Agricultural 
Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954, (P.L. 480).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Evans Browne, Program Development Division, Export Credits, Foreign 
Agricultural Service, Room 4506, South Building, Stop 1034, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, D.C. 
20250-1034. Telephone: (202) 720-4228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title I, P.L. 480 authorizes the United 
States to finance the sale and exportation of agricultural commodities 
to foreign governments on concessional terms. Between 1986 and 1991, 
the United States entered into various title I, P.L. 480 agreements 
with foreign governments, including Tunisia and Morocco, on terms which 
required repayment to the United States in local currencies. These 
agreements were commonly referred to as constituting the ``section 108 
program.'' Most of the foreign currency received under the section 108 
program was loaned by the United States to financial institutions in 
the host country which would, in turn, loan the funds to local 
businesses in order to foster economic development. After the local 
financial institutions repaid the United States, the funds could be 
made available for the development of markets for United States 
agricultural commodities. In addition, other local currency repaid to 
the United States could be used for agricultural technical assistance 
to foster and encourage the development of private enterprise 
institutions and infrastructure as the base for the production of food 
and related goods and services. Currently, Tunisian and Moroccan local 
currencies acquired under the section 108 program are available for the 
development of markets for United States agricultural commodities and 
for agricultural technical assistance activities.

Application Process

    Responsibility for administering Departmental programs concerned 
with developing foreign markets for United States agricultural 
commodities and technical cooperation has been delegated to FAS. 
Parties interested in using Tunisian or Moroccan currency to develop 
markets for agricultural commodities, or to undertake technical 
assistance activities, in those countries should submit a proposal to: 
Evans Browne, Program Development Division, Export Credits, Foreign 
Agricultural Service, Room 4506, South Building, Stop 1034, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, 
D.C. 20250-1034. Telephone: (202) 720-4228. Interested parties must 
submit Standard Form 424 (SF-424) in conjunction with their proposal. 
This form is available from the above address. FAS will review all 
proposals in accordance with the standards in this notice. Those 
organizations which requested section 108 funding as part of their 1998 
Unified Export Strategy (UES) application should review this notice to 
determine if all information requested herein has been furnished. If 
so, such organizations need not re-apply in response to this 
announcement. FAS will accept additional and supplemental information 
supporting proposals already submitted in the UES application.
    Proposals should outline, to the extent applicable, the following 
points:
    <bullet> A description of the project to develop or expand a 
commercial market for a U.S. agricultural commodity or product, or a 
description of the technical assistance activity;
    <bullet> An indication of funding sources and amounts to be 
contributed by the applicant to implement the project or technical 
assistance activity in addition to the local currency provided by FAS. 
This may include amounts contributed by private industry entities or 
host governments. Contributed resources may include cash, goods, and 
services;
    <bullet> The average value of U.S. exports of the commodity or 
product promoted by the applicant for the years 1995-97;
    <bullet> The average total value of world trade of the commodity or 
product promoted by the applicant during the years 1995-97;
    <bullet> The total dollar value of projected U.S. exports of the 
commodity or product promoted by the applicant during 1998;
    <bullet> A results-oriented means of measuring the success of the 
project or technical assistance activity and a plan for reporting 
progress to FAS. For example, the proposals should identify the 
constraints or barriers to trade faced by a particular product in a 
particular market; describe the strategy and activity(ies) that will be 
implemented to overcome such impediments; and finally, identify the 
goals and performance indicators which will be used to measure the 
effectiveness of the strategy and activities in achieving those goals;
    <bullet> The administrative capabilities of the participant to 
implement the project or technical assistance activity;
    <bullet> Proposals for technical assistance activities should also 
describe how the technical assistance will enhance the local market's 
food and rural business systems, and impact on transformation of the 
host country's economy to a free market system.

Review Process

    FAS will review the proposals to identify projects that could 
contribute to the effective creation, expansion, or maintenance of 
foreign markets for U.S. agricultural commodities and products. When 
reviewing proposals to undertake generic activities, FAS will give 
priority to organizations that are industry-wide or nationwide in 
membership and scope. For such activities, U.S. agricultural trade 
associations will be used to the maximum extent possible. Recipients 
must demonstrate an ability to provide U.S.-based staff capable of 
developing, supervising, and carrying out projects overseas, and be 
willing

[[Page 36873]]

and able to contribute resources to a joint project. FAS will also 
consider the likelihood of these activities influencing conditions 
affecting the level of U.S. exports; the size, in both budget and 
scope, of the proposed project; and, the likelihood of the market 
becoming a commercial market for U.S. agricultural commodities and 
products. FAS considers evaluation critical to the success of a market 
development project. In determining whether to approve a market 
development or technical assistance project, FAS will place great 
emphasis on the performance measures in the proposal and upon the plan 
for reporting progress to FAS.
    Upon approval of a proposal, FAS will enter into an agreement with 
the entity submitting the proposal pursuant to which FAS will provide 
local currencies for carrying out the market development or technical 
assistance project. Agreements will incorporate, by reference, the 
proposal as approved by FAS.
    General administrative requirements for implementation of any 
resultant agreement with non-profit institutions are found at 7 CFR 
part 3019, ``Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and 
Cooperative Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, 
Hospitals, and other Non-profit Organizations'' except as may be 
necessitated by the use of foreign currencies or host country laws. 
Interested parties should familiarize themselves with these 
regulations.
    FAS may announce in the future the availability of other local 
currencies in other countries for market development and technical 
assistance.

    Signed at Washington D.C. on June 26, 1998.
Timothy J. Galvin,
Acting Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service and Vice President, 
Commodity Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. 98-18000 Filed 7-7-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-10-M