Would your agricultural import business be served by credit guarantees for local (Baltic bank) commercial financing? For fiscal year 2004, the USDA authorized $15 million in credit guarantees for sales of U.S. agricultural commodities to the Baltic region. Such guarantees are extended to up to 98 percent of the principal on credit terms from 90 days to 2 years to cover the sale of such products as animal feeds and genetics, feedgrains, breeder livestock, pet foods, dried fruits and nuts, fruit and vegetable concentrates, frozen or chilled meats and poultry, protein meals, planting seeds, vegetable oils, frozen and canned vegetables and more. List of eligible commodities

Are you importing agricultural products on short-term open-account financing? Under the SCGP announced for fiscal year 2004, the USDA guarantees a portion of payments due from importers under short-term financing (up to 180 days) that exporters have extended directly to your firm. This program finances the same list of products covered by the GSM-102 program and permits you to avoid the cost, formalities and delays of opening a foreign bank letter of credit. You also enjoy the full benefit of the credit terms by dealing directly with your supplier rather than through your local bank. List of eligible commodities

Would your trade, food industry and/or merchandising objectives benefit from improved processing, handling and/or storage facilities? The FGP seeks to enhance the sale of U.S. agricultural commodities and products by improving or establishing agriculture-related infrastructure, transport, storage, packaging and/or processing facilities in emerging markets. To achieve this, the FGP provides credit guarantees ­ financial devices that eliminate most of the risk of non­payment by foreign banks -- to facilitate the sale of manufactured goods and services.

Do you need assistance in establishing joint venture activities with mid-sized U.S. agribusiness companies? The AgLink program provides limited travel and training money to qualified companies during a four-phase program that includes U.S. visits to your facilities, your travel to work and visit with your U.S. partner and an in-country training program.

Would your business benefit from direct contact with U.S. suppliers of food and agricultural products and/or U.S. food producers' new product announcements? The USDA's Trade Leads and Buyer Alert Announcements seek to provide such services.

Would your role as a member of an agribusiness firm, government department, university or other agricultural organization be improved by training in the United States? Since 1984 the U.S. Congress has provided the U.S. Department of Agriculture with funds to support short-term, non-academic training ranging from 2 to 6 weeks that incorporates a mixture of technical instruction, practical field observations and hands-on experience. The Cochran Fellowship Program works closely with USDA agencies, other government agencies, universities and private U.S. trade and market development organizations in order to provide very specialized training tailored to participants' individual requirements. Recruitment on the basis of applications submitted in English normally gets underway in the fall each year. Final approval of candidates are made by the USDA in Washington, DC. on the basis of candidates' qualifications, U.S. Embassy recommendations, an interview and country-specific training needs.

Jolanta Andersone
Marketing Specialist
U.S. Embassy
7, Raina Blvd.
LV-1510 Riga, Latvia
Tlf: +371 703 62 00, (ext. 6212)
Fax: +371 722 73 90
Email: jolanta.andersone@usda.gov

Lana Bennett
Agricultural Counselor
U.S. Embassy
Dag Hammarskjöldsväg 31
SE-115 89 Stockholm, Sweden
Tlf: +46-8 783 53 90
Fax: +46-8 662 84 95
Email: lana.bennett@usda.gov