The Office of International Major Projects - Commerce Department office - Taiwan: Billions of Dollars in Major Infrastructure Opportunities - Cover Story

Business America, July 29, 1991 by J.L. Smith

The Office of International Major Projects

The Office of International Major Projects (OIMP) in the Commerce Department is the focal point for coordinating government assistance for American firms competing for major overseas transactions. The Office's activities involve engineering and construction projects and major equipment installations. (A transaction is generally defined as "major" if it has a U.S. export potential in excess of $10 million.)

OIMP operates on a worldwide basis, but has been particularly active in Taiwan because of its extraordinary potential for U.S. exporters. The size of the island's market is an obvious factor. More than $234 billion has been committed to government-funded infrastructure projects to be carried out in the next five years alone. But there are other attractions. Public contracting in Taiwan is done on a cash basis, without the extended implementation timeframes associated with projects that require financing by multilateral development banks. The island also has a large pool of well-educated, highly-skilled technical and managerial personnel, many of them trained in the United States and familiar with American technology and business practices.

The office has been active in several sectors of the Taiwan major projects market, particularly in transportation and power generation. These areas will be of continued interest as the country continues its ambitious program to upgrade its infrastructure. Another field that will be very active, and that offers substantial growth potential for U.S. industry, is Taiwan's environmental sector.

OIMP assists U.S. firms pursuing major projects in Taiwan in a number of ways. Its staff works closely with the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) to identify upcoming projects and develop specific information about them. OIMP disseminates project information to interested American companies.

Project Officers monitor developments in specific industrial sectors on a worldwide basis. They provide one-on-one business counseling about these sectors, and offer guidance on appropriate markets, business contacts, contract bidding procedures and strategies, and other background of interest to companies competing for major project contracts in Taiwan and elsewhere.

OIMP cooperates with AIT, various agencies within the U.S. government, and multilateral financial institutions to provide specific assistance to U.S. businesses competing for project contracts. Projects are handled on a case-by-case basis, to tailor assistance to the particular circumstances of each.

Trade missions and technical seminars to Taiwan and other high-potential markets are also organized by this office. Most of its trade promotion activities involve engineering and construction firms and are designed to highlight American technology and expertise.

OIMP maintains the Major Projects Reference Room, in Rm. 2015B, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, D.C. 20230. Representatives of U.S. companies can visit the room and review various types of project market information. Of particular interest are: U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service project reports, appraisal reports produced by the multilateral development banks on projects in their lending pipelines, and country development plans.

OIMP is also responsible for advising senior U.S. government officials of policy initiatives designed to increase U.S. industry's ability to compete in the international major projects' marketplace or in any specific country. OIMP identifies obstacles to successful American competition for major overseas contracts and works to eliminate them.

Firms interested in major projects in Taiwan and elsewhere are invited to contact the Office of International Major Projects. A directory of key officials follows on the next page.

PHOTO : LPG facility in Kaohsiung Harbor.