SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

In 2018, the government of the United States launched the America Crece (Growth in the Americas) initiative to foster coordinated, whole-of-government efforts in support of all U.S. energy and infrastructure engagement in the LAC region. This request for comment and event notification seeks public comment on priorities and strategies to enhance commercial engagement in energy and other infrastructure in the LAC region through programs under the umbrella of the America Crece initiative.

The Department seeks individual input and views at the November 7, 2019 roundtable regarding the LAC region, including the following topics:

• The principal foreign regulatory and policy barriers to growing sales and exports to the LAC region and how to prioritize these barriers for USG engagement.
• The principal foreign barriers to investment in the energy and infrastructure sectors in LAC countries.
• The challenges U.S. companies face in seeking and/or providing competitive financing for projects in the LAC region.
• Proactive solutions or actions that the U.S. government could pursue that would have an impact on catalyzing U.S. private sector participation in commercial opportunities in LAC.
• Insights from working with USG agencies—such as State, Commerce, Treasury, Energy, USTDA, EXIM, OPIC, USAID—in doing business in LAC, including assessments of the strengths and weaknesses of the U.S. government tools to promote U.S. businesses in the energy and infrastructure sectors in LAC countries.

Event: The November 7, 2019 roundtable will provide an overview of the America Crece initiative and will include a discussion session during which participants will provide insights and feedback related to the initiative and energy and infrastructure in the LAC region. Due to limited space, the event is closed to press and observers. Industry participation is limited to 30 qualifying industry representatives.

Selection

To attend, participants should submit the below information to AmericaCreceOutreach@trade.gov by November 1, 2019. I&A will evaluate registrations based on the submitted information (and based on the criteria below) on a rolling basis until 30 participants have been selected and inform applicants of selection decisions.

Applicants are encouraged to send representatives at a sufficiently senior level to be knowledgeable about their organization's capabilities, interests and challenges in the LAC region.

Registrations should include the following information in their registration email:

• Name of attendee and short bio.
• Organization and brief organization description.
• A statement self-certifying how the organization meets each of the following criteria:

1. It is not majority owned by a foreign government entity (or entities).

2. Its existing products or services are either produced in the United States, or, if not, marketed under the name of a U.S. firm and have demonstrable U.S. content as a percentage of the value of the finished product or service and/or it is a major investor in projects in LAC in which companies with such products may compete.

3. It has already exported from the United States to or invested in the LAC region.

4. In the case of a trade association, academic or research institution, the applicant will only be representing companies during the Roundtable that satisfy each of the criteria above.

Selection will be based on the following criteria:

• Suitability of the company's (or in the case of another organization, represented companies' or constituents') ( printed page 57701) existing products or services to commercial opportunities in the energy and infrastructure sectors in the LAC region.
• Suitability of the company's (or in the case of another organization, represented companies' or constituents') experience pursuing commercial opportunities in the LAC region.
• Suitability of the representative's position and biography to be able to engage in the conversation.

84 FR 57700