S-3465               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 6202

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1990 Regular Session

By Senators Lee, Talmadge, Bluechel and Conner

Prefiled with Secretary of the Senate 1/4/90.  Read first time 1/8/90 and referred to Committee on  Economic Development & Labor.

AN ACT Relating to international trade; adding new sections to chapter 43.31 RCW; and making an appropriation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     Washington's economic future depends on penetrating global markets for our services, agricultural commodities, and manufactured goods.  The legislature wishes to help businesses identify export trade opportunities and facilitate transactions by creating an aggressive network of international trade offices.

          Each international trade office is intended to be a single regional location for the state's market development activities.  International trade offices shall be jointly staffed by the department of trade and economic development and the department of agriculture.  The department of trade and economic development and the department of agriculture shall collocate their personnel within the same international trade office.

          Each international trade office shall charge a fee on completed transactions tied to the office's facilitating efforts.  The fee shall be determined by the director of the department of trade and economic development to make each office self-supporting and not dependent on state appropriations.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     The international trade offices shall be administered by the department of trade and economic development, consistent with RCW 43.31.145, in consultation with the department of agriculture.  The department of agriculture shall continue to have policy authority pursuant to RCW 43.23.035.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     An international trade office's primary focus shall be to provide up-to-date information on:  (1) Political factors; (2) economic factors; (3) competitive factors; (4) level of suitable technology; (5) structure of distribution; (6) geography and infrastructure; (7) cultural requirements; and (8) other factors influencing trade in their regions.  Each international trade office shall assist Washington state companies in identifying and meeting consumer needs in their regions.  They shall render advice on appropriate price levels, products, channels of distribution, and promotion techniques for their districts.  Each international trade office shall compile a data base of potential foreign buyers and Washington state companies meeting the needs of these foreign customers.

          The international trade offices shall strive to identify market opportunities in their regions for Washington state companies.  Aggressive efforts shall be taken to facilitate transactions between these Washington state enterprises and foreign buyers.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     Each international trade office shall prepare semiannual reports for the department of trade and economic development, the department of agriculture, and the appropriate legislative oversight committees.  The reports shall include the following quantitative data:  (1) The dollar volume of facilitated transactions; (2) the number of completed transactions facilitated; (3) the amount of fees collected; (4) the number of trade shows attended; (5) the number of foreign buyers and Washington state vendors included in the data base; and (6) the net increase or decrease in the number of data base entries.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.     The department of trade and economic development shall create an office in Toronto, Canada, during the 1989-91 biennium.  The Toronto office shall be responsible for market development in Eastern Canada.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6.     The sum of six hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated from the general fund to the department of trade and economic development for the biennium ending June 30, 1991, to carry out the purposes of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7.     Sections 1 through 5 of this act are each added to chapter 43.31 RCW.