US- Thai trade and investment support

capital, goods, and technical and managerial skills. JUST Business will support activities in research, investment development, and TA. JUST Business will be legally established as a private, nonprofit organization under a Board of Directors composed of 6-8 representatives from the U.S. and Thai private sectors. Operations will be financed through user and membership fees, corporate donations, and a grant from A.I.D. Potential research activities include market research to identify opportunities for U.S. investment, along with research on product quality and standards for international assistance, on constraints to investment, and on the capabilities of Thai firms. Company and plant visits in Thailand and the United States will be arranged. Potential investment development activities include establishing a (fee-based) Business Service Center for U.S businesses seeking to become established in Thailand. This Center will help U.S. firms to identify Thai joint venture partners, and to find sources of equity and debt financing at equitable terms. The Center will ensure that current market information is available to U.S. firms, and facilitate introductions, appointments, etc. It will also selectively help Thai firms to identify U.S. partners, develop business strategies, etc. JUST Business will also sponsor sector- and industry-specific seminars, lectures, conferences, and workshops. Activities under the TA component will be designed to identify policy and legal constraints to further Thai integration in the world economy and to transfer U.S. technology and management skills to Thailand. Specific activities might include TA to the Thai Board of Investment to facilitate the investment process; training programs for Thai businesses through the Federation of Thai Industry and the Thailand Chambers of Commerce concerning information requirements of U.S. businesses; and various other means of promoting U.S.-Thai joint ventures, e.g., by encouraging banks to finance specific ventures.