VZCZCXYZ0025
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSJ #0688 2252050
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 132050Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1118
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SAN JOSE 000688 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EEB/EPPD FOR NSMITH-NISSLEY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KSEP AMGT BEXP ECON ELAB ETRD SENV PREL PGOV
CS 
SUBJECT: RESPONSE FROM AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE TO REQUEST FROM 
EEB - ACTING, ASSISTANT SECRETARY NELSON:  DUE DILIGENCE ON 
NOMINEES FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S 2009 AWARD FOR 
CORPORATE EXCELLENCE 
 
REF: SECSTATE 78538 
 
¶1. Please see responses from AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE to action 
request (reftel). 
 
¶2. Question: Are there possible negatives or risks of U.S. 
embarrassment that could result from the potential selection 
of your post's nominee (Intel Costa Rica)?  Answer: No. 
 
¶3. Question: Do you have any information concerning job 
creation in the United States resulting from the operations 
of the company you nominated (Intel Costa Rica)?  Answer: 
Intel Costa Rica imports input parts from the United States 
as well as exports final product to the United States.  U.S. 
producers and consumers hire U.S. employees (therefore 
creating jobs) whom are integral parts of the Intel Costa 
Rica supply chain. 
 
¶4. Question: What is your assessment of the company's (Intel 
Costa Rica) trade and investment activities with regard to 
helping stimulate economic growth in the U.S. and increasing 
American exports (what is the U.S. content of its products)? 
Answer: The percentage of U.S. content in Intel Costa Rica 
products is unavailable.  However, Intel Costa Rica does use 
raw materials and other inputs from the United States. 
 
¶5. What is the state of labor conditions in the company's 
(Intel Costa Rica) facilities and are workers unionized? 
Answer: Intel Costa Rica has an Employee Association 
(Asociacion Solidarista de Empleados de Componentes Intel de 
Costa Rica in Spanish) which was founded in 1997.  There are 
2,073 members which represents about 93 percent of Intel 
Costa Rica's employees.  The employee association offers 
loans, savings options, insurance, credit cards, discounts, 
and other benefits to its members.  We are told that Intel's 
employment practices rate in the upper echelon of the Costa 
Rican system.  Employees that leave Intel often request (or 
initiate) labor practices that replicate Intel's work 
environment. 
 
¶6. Are you aware of any litigation pending in local courts 
involving the company (Intel Costa Rica)?  Answer: No.  Intel 
Costa Rica is required to report any material litigation as 
part of their ongoing U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission 
(SEC) reporting requirements.  Intel Costa Rica currently 
does not have any litigation that triggers this reporting 
requirement.  Intel Costa Rica currently has two cases 
matriculating in the Costa Rican courts and both of them are 
private (not government related).  Since both are open cases, 
Intel Costa Rica's lawyers were not at liberty to disclose 
additional details about the cases. 
 
¶7. Question: Please confirm that the Chief of Mission and 
others involved in the nominating process do not hold shares 
of stock or have other financial interests in the company. 
Answer: The three main players involved in the selection 
process, CDA Peter Brennan, Economic Officer Mark Kissel, and 
Economic Specialist Anna Sparks, do not hold stock in Intel. 
 
¶8. Thank you for the opportunity to respond.  We look forward 
to the final results of the selection process. 
BRENNAN