Collapse to view only § 5821. American Business Centers
- § 5821. American Business Centers
- § 5822. Business and Agriculture Advisory Council
- § 5823. Funding for export promotion activities and capital projects
- § 5824. Interagency working group on energy of the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee
- § 5825. Repealed.
- § 5826. Policy on combatting tied aid practices
- § 5827. Technical assistance for Russian Far East
- § 5828. Funding for OPIC programs
§ 5821. American Business Centers
(a) Establishment
(b) Environmental business centers and agribusiness centersFor purposes of this section, the term “American Business Centers” includes the following:
(1) Environmental business centers in those independent states that offer promising market possibilities for the export of United States environmental goods and services. To the maximum extent practicable, these environmental business centers should be established as a component of other centers.
(2) Agribusiness centers that include the participation of private United States agribusinesses or agricultural cooperatives, private nonprofit organizations, State universities and land grant colleges, and financial institutions, that make appropriate contributions of equipment, materials, and personnel for the operation of such centers. The purposes of these agribusiness centers shall be—
(A) to enhance the ability of farmers and other agribusiness practitioners in the independent states to better meet the needs of the people of the independent states;
(B) to assist the transition from a command and control system in agriculture to a free market system; and
(C) to facilitate the demonstration and use of United States agricultural equipment and technology.
(c) Additional policy guidanceTo the maximum extent possible, and consistent with the particular purposes of the specific types of centers, the President should direct that—
(1) the American Business Centers established pursuant to this section place special emphasis on assistance to United States small- and medium-sized businesses to facilitate their entry into the commercial markets of the independent states;
(2) such centers offer office space, business facilities, and market analysis services to United States firms, trade associations, and State economic development offices on a user-fee basis that minimizes the cost of operating such centers;
(3) such centers serve as a repository for commercial, legal, and technical information, including environmental and export control information;
(4) such centers identify existing or potential counterpart businesses or organizations that may require specific technical coordination or assistance;
(5) such centers be established in several sites in the independent states; and
(6) host countries be asked to make appropriate contributions of real estate and personnel for the establishment and operation of such centers.
(d) Funding
(1) Reimbursement agreement
(2) Authorization of appropriations
(Pub. L. 102–511, title III, § 301, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3332.)
§ 5822. Business and Agriculture Advisory Council
(a) Establishment
The President is authorized to establish an advisory council to be known as the Independent States Business and Agriculture Advisory Council (hereinafter in this section referred to as the “Council”)—
(1) to consult with and advise the President periodically regarding programs of assistance for the independent states of the former Soviet Union; and
(2) to evaluate, and consult periodically with the President regarding, the adequacy of bilateral and multilateral assistance programs that would facilitate exports by United States companies to, and investments by United States companies in, the independent states.
(b) Membership
(c) Staff
(Pub. L. 102–511, title III, § 302, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3333.)
§ 5823. Funding for export promotion activities and capital projects
(a) Allocation of A.I.D. funds
The President is encouraged to use a portion of the funds made available for the independent states of the former Soviet Union under chapter 11 of part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 [22 U.S.C. 2295 et seq.]—
(1) to fund the export promotion, finance, and related activities carried out pursuant to subsection (b)(1), including activities relating to the export of intermediary goods; and
(2) to fund capital projects, including projects for telecommunications, environmental cleanup, power production, and energy related projects.
(b) Export promotion, finance, and related activities
The Secretary of Commerce, as Chair of the Trade Promotion Coordination Committee, should, in conjunction with other members of that committee, design and implement programs to provide adequate commercial and technical assistance to United States businesses seeking markets in the independent states of the former Soviet Union, including the following:
(1) Increasing the United States and Foreign Commercial Service presence in the independent states, in particular in the Russian Far Eastern cities of Vladivostok and Khabarovsk.
(2) Preparing profiles of export opportunities for United States businesses in the independent states and providing other technical assistance.
(3) Utilizing the Market Development Cooperator Program under section 4723 of title 15.
(4) Developing programs specifically for the purpose of assisting small- and medium-sized businesses in entering commercial markets of the independent states. In carrying out this paragraph, the Secretary of Commerce, to the extent possible, should work directly with private sector organizations with proven experience in trade and economic relations with the independent states.
(5) Supporting projects undertaken by the United States business community on the basis of partnership, joint venture, contractual, or other cooperative agreements with appropriate entities in the independent states.
(6) Supporting export finance programs, feasibility studies, political risk insurance, and other related programs through increased funding and flexibility in the implementation of such programs.
(7) Supporting the Business Information Service (BISNIS) and its related programs.
(Pub. L. 102–511, title III, § 303, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3333.)
§ 5824. Interagency working group on energy of the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee
The Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee should utilize its interagency working group on energy to assist United States energy sector companies to develop a long-term strategy for penetrating the energy market in the independent states of the former Soviet Union. The working group should—
(1) work with officials from the independent states in creating an environment conducive to United States energy investment;
(2) help to coordinate assistance to United States companies involved with projects to clean up former Soviet nuclear weapons sites and commercial nuclear waste; and
(3) work with representatives from United States business and industry involved with the energy sector to help facilitate the identification of business opportunities, including the promotion of oil, gas, and clean coal technology and products, energy efficiency, and the formation of joint ventures between United States companies and companies of the independent nations.
(Pub. L. 102–511, title III, § 304, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3334.)
§ 5825. Repealed. Pub. L. 104–66, title I, § 1021(e), Dec. 21, 1995, 109 Stat. 713
§ 5826. Policy on combatting tied aid practices
Should the Secretary of the Treasury determine that foreign countries are engaged in tied aid practices with respect to any of the independent states of the former Soviet Union that violate the 1991 Helsinki agreement of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the President should give priority attention to combatting such practices.
(Pub. L. 102–511, title III, § 306, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3335.)
§ 5827. Technical assistance for Russian Far East
(a) Authorization
(b) Authorization of appropriations
(Pub. L. 102–511, title III, § 307, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3335.)
§ 5828. Funding for OPIC programs
(a) Authority to make additional funds available
(b) Enactment of OPIC Authorization Act
(Pub. L. 102–511, title III, § 308, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3335.)