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For Immediate Release: March 25, 2013
Contact: Mara Lee (202) 482-3809
Obama Trade Official to Keynote Forum on Africa, Near East, South Asia
WASHINGTON – Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Francisco Sánchez will offer the keynote address at ACCESS 2013, an international trade forum showcasing growing business opportunities in the Africa, Near East and South Asia (ANESA) region in La Jolla, Calif., May 1-2, 2013.
“The ANESA region is showing unprecedented growth, which represents a wealth of opportunities for U.S. businesses. ACCESS 2013 gathers together specialists from both the public and private sector to help you gain access into the region and give you the tools to be successful,” said Sánchez.
During the two-day gathering, participants will also hear from Ambassador Charles Ford, Deputy Director General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service (Commercial Service), and senior trade specialists from the Commercial Service and State Department Economic sections from U.S. embassies in the ANESA region.
The forum offers California companies a unique chance to tap into the growing business opportunities of the ANESA region, which includes India, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa. These seven markets present numerous opportunities for U.S. exports of technology, equipment and more, and are projected to purchase more than $100 billion worth of American-made goods this year.
ACCESS 2013 will include a networking reception, multiple sessions on market entry strategies, financing, legal and regulatory issues and logistics. Focused industry sessions will include aerospace and defense, ICT, healthcare, water and energy, security and transportation, and services such as education and franchising. Panelists will include Commercial Service and other U.S. Embassy officials, as well as private sector industry and regional experts.
The event is a public-private collaboration of the Commercial Service, San Diego State University’s Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER), and the San Diego and Imperial Counties District Export Council. Markets featured at the conference will be: Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Iraq, Israel, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates.
Individuals who wish to attend can register at www.export.gov/sandiego. Registration is $495 if completed before March 31, 2013. Afterward that date, the fee is $595.
Total U.S. exports to the ANESA region totaled $80 billion in 2012. Top U.S. exports to this region were: vehicles and parts ($14.0 billion); aircraft and parts ($12.6 billion); machinery ($11.2 billion); electric machinery ($7.5 billion); precious stones and metals ($7.3 billion); optic and medical instruments ($2.9 billion); mineral fuel ($2.4 billion); special classification provisions ($1.9 billion); oil seeds and grains ($1.7 billion); arms and ammunition ($1.5 billion).###
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