Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, September 30, 2005

U.S. COMMERCE SECRETARY ANNOUNCES
CAFTA TRADE MISSION DELEGATION
First Trade Mission to Region Since Passage of CAFTA-DR

WASHINGTOND.C. - U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez today announced executives from 18 U.S. businesses will join him on a trade mission to Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador October-15-22, 2005. This is the first trade mission to the region since the Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) was signed by President Bush in August.

“These companies all have one thing in common: They recognize opportunity in Central America, and they are eager to begin doing business in those markets,” Gutierrez said. “Their interest will mean more investment, more trade, and eventually more new jobs in the United States and in Central America.”

The business executives participating in the mission are from large corporations as well as small businesses. They employ as many as several thousand people and as few as 20 and represent industries as diverse as energy, automotive, textiles and medical devices.

The mission will include three stops: Guatemala City, Guatemala; San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and San Salvador, El Salvador. In each city, participants will meet with key government and business representatives, Chambers of Commerce and industry, trade associations, and potential business partners.

CAFTA-DR reduces trade barriers between America and Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and El Salvador. It creates the second-largest export market in Latin America for U.S. goods, and the tenth largest market in the world. More than 80 percent of U.S. exports of consumer and industrial goods will become duty-free in Central America immediately .

The U.S. Congress approved the CAFTA-DR in July 2005, and the President signed it into law on August 2, 2005 . The CAFTA-DR agreement has been approved by the legislatures in El Salvador , Guatemala , Honduras and the Dominican Republic . Approval is pending in Costa Rica , and Nicaragua . The trade agreement will enter into force on a date to be agreed upon among the countries.

List of CAFTA-DR Trade Mission Delegation is attached. For more information on this mission, visit http://www.buyusa.gov/centralamerica/en/.

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Official Business Delegation for Business Development
Mission to Central America
Led by Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez

Company and Applicant	Industry
Alice Mills Inc., Darien CT Mr. Bradley S. Wurst, President	Textiles
American Textile Machinery Association, Falls Church , VA Mr. Joseph A. Okey, Jr., Chairman President and Owner, American Monforts, LLC, Charlotte , NC	Textiles
Baxter Healthcare, Inc. , Ft. Lauderdale , FL Mr. Angel Rodriguez, Vice President, Northern Latin America	Medical Devices
Bentley Systems, Incorporated , Exton , PA Dr. Alfredo Castrejon, Vice President, Latin America	Software
Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association , Philadelphia , PA Mr. Michael Cardone, Jr., Chairman Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, CARDONE Industries, Inc. , Philadelphia , PA	Automotive
Distance Diagnostics through Digital Imaging , Athens , GA Mr. Robert R. Fowler, III, Chairman Emeritus, Main Street Bank	Telemedicine and Agriculture
Eastman Chemical Company , Kingsport , TN Mr. Jorge San Pedro, Director, International Trade	Chemicals & Plastics
Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. , Rochester Hills , MI Mrs. Nancy M. Bacon, Senior Vice President	Solar Technology
Energy International, Inc. , Miami , FL Mr. James J. Shannon, Vice President, Operations	Engineering, Procurement & Construction / Power Plants
FBM Trading Co., Inc. , Fort Worth , TX Mr. Floyd McKneely, Chief Executive Officer	Automotive
Ford Motor Company , Dearborn , MI Mr. Stephen E. Biegun, Vice President, International Government Affairs	Automotive
HACH Company , Loveland , CO Mr. Hermes Gonzalez, Director, International Sales	Environmental Technologies
Hewlett-Packard Company , Palo Alto , CA Mr. Edgardo Torres-Caballero, Government Affairs Manager Central America , Caribbean and Puerto Rico	Information Technology
K&M Group of Companies , McLean , VA Mr. Michael H. Kappaz, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer	Project Management
S&C Electric Company , Chicago , IL Mr. Rigoberto Castanon, General Manager	Electrical Power
Sabre Holdings Corporation , Southlake , TX Mr. Bruce Charendoff, Senior Vice President	Travel & Tourism
Stryker Corporation , Miramar , FL Mr. Claudio Cury, Business Development Manager	Medical Devices
The Shaw Group , Denver , CO Mr. Jay Dick, Senior Program Manager, Latin America Development	Infrastructure Development & Energy