David Ponsar Senior Commercial Officer

1
David PonsarSenior Commercial Officer

• U.S. Commercial ServiceBratislava, Slovak
  RepublicTel 421 2 5920 5320Fax [phone]
  5333David.Ponsar_at_mail.doc.govwww.buyusa.gov/slov
  akia/en

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U.S. Commercial Service

• An Agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce
• Mission is primarily to help small and medium
  size, export-ready companies to enter new
  markets, and to protect U.S. business interests
  abroad
• Network of 107 domestic offices in the U.S. and
  145 international offices located in U.S.
  Embassies and Consulates

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How Does the U.S. Commercial Service Help U.S.
Companies?

• World Class Market Research
• Trade Events that Promote your Product or Service
  to Qualified Buyers
• Contacts with Qualified Buyers, Distributors and
  Joint Venture Partners
• Business Facilitation Services
• Counseling through Every Step of the Export
  Process
• Advocacy and Trade Compliance

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Market Research

• General Market Research
• Country Commercial Guide
• Nanotechnology
• Sporting Goods
• Security and Safety Equipment
• Environmental Services
• Healthcare Services
• Franchising Opportunities
• Cosmetics
• Renewable Energy
• Telecommunications Services

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Market Research

• Customized Market Research
• Specific Market Research
• Competition
• Market Entry
• Market Size and Trends
• Regulatory Issues and Standards
• Product Registration
• Sales Channels

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Trade Events

• International Buyer Program
• Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week and SEMA
  Automotive Specialty Show, Las Vegas, Nov. 2006
• Power-Gen International, Orlando, November 2006
• Showtime Events at Major Trade Shows
• Aquatech 2006 Process, Drinking and Wastewater,
  Amsterdam, September 2006
• electronica 2006, Munich, November 2006
• Catalog Shows
• Variety of Themes and Venues
• Industry Specific and State Trade Missions
• Automation Alley Trade Mission, March 2007

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Contact and Screening Services
You tell us what you are looking for in an
agent, distributor, joint venture, or any other
kind of business partner, and we will help you
find a match!

• Screened/Unscreened Contact Lists
• BuyUSA Featured Exporters (FUSE)
• International Partner Search
• Video Gold Key Matching Service
• Gold Key Matching Service
• International Company Profile

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Business Facilitation Services

• Single Company Promotion. Launch your product or
  service through seminars, press conferences,
  receptions or other promotional activities.
• Public Tender Information. Need more information
  on a particular public tender? We will contact
  the responsible institution, analyze all
  available information, provide you with
  instructions on how to place your bid and prepare
  a brief analysis of the tender for you.

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Export Counseling

• Individual Business Counseling by Telephone,
  E-mail and Meetings, including
• Country Information
• Tariff Rates
• Banking and Export Financing
• Logistics
• ... and any other questions about the market

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Advocacy and Trade Compliance

• Help to ensure that sales of U.S. products and
  services have the best possible chance to succeed
  abroad.
• Coordinate U.S. Government resources to ensure a
  level playing field for U.S. businesses as they
  compete against foreign firms for specific
  international contracts or other U.S. export
  opportunities.
• Promote fair competition by providing information
  about regulations and product standards that may
  otherwise impede U.S. exports

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Slovak Republic Basic Data

• Area (km2) 49,035
• Population 5,379,000
• Population /km2 109.7
• Capital Bratislava
• Adjacent countries Czech Republic,
  Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, Austria
• Currency Slovak koruna
• Ethnicity Slovak 85.8 Hungarian
  9.7 other 4.5
• Religious Denominations Roman Catholic 69
  Lutheran 7
  Other 11
  No
  affiliation 13

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Best Prospect Sectors for U.S. Exporters

• Aircraft and Aviation Services
• Automotive Parts and Components (gt1 million/year)
• Chemicals and Plastics
• Electrical Equipment and Parts
• Information and Communication Technologies
• Alternative and Renewable Energy Technologies
• Environmental Services
• Medical Products and Services
• Pharmaceuticals
• Franchising
• Infrastructure (highways, bridges, airports)
• Consumer Goods

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Principal Industries in Slovakia

• Mechanical and Electrical Engineering
• Automobiles and Components
• Information/Communication Technology
• Fuel and Power Industries
• Heavy Industries
• Chemicals
• Agriculture Food
• Construction
• Textile, Clothing and Footwear
• Forest Products
• Tourism

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Why Slovakia?

• Well educated, skilled, cost competitive
  workforce
• European Union and NATO Membership
• Geographical Heart of Europe
• Successful Reforms in Employment, Healthcare,
  Pensions and Taxes
• Flat 19 Tax (Corporate and Personal)
• Favorable Economic Conditions
• Developed Infrastructure

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Top U.S. Investors
The U.S. is the 9th largest investor in Slovakia
with 3.5 billion invested.
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David PonsarSenior Commercial Officer

• U.S. Commercial ServiceBratislava, Slovak
  RepublicTel 421 2 5920 5320Fax [phone]
  5333David.Ponsar_at_mail.doc.govwww.buyusa.gov/slov
  akia/en