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DE RUEHTU #0134/01 0501635
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P 191635Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY TUNIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7320
INFO RUCNMGH/MAGHREB COLLECTIVE
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TUNIS 000134 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EEB AND NEA/MAG 
STATE PASS USTR (BURKHEAD) AND USAID (MCCLOUD) 
USDOC FOR ITA/MAC/ONE (MASON), ADVOCACY CTR (TABINE), AND 
CLDP (TEJTEL AND MCMANUS) 
CASABLANCA FOR FCS (KITSON) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON ETRN EINV TS
SUBJECT: TUNISIA: U.S. TRADE DELEGATION'S SUCCESSFUL VISIT 
 
This cable is sensitive but unclassified; please protect 
accordingly. 
 
This message contains sensitive company proprietary 
information; please protect accordingly. 
 
------------------- 
Summary and Comment 
------------------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) A U.S. business delegation of eight companies 
visited Tunisia February 14-16 before the Department of 
Commerce-led Executive Trade Mission to Algeria and Libya. 
Prominent U.S. firms, including Raytheon, Boeing, and 
Motorola, were among those in the group.  The delegates met 
with ministers and other high-level GOT officials in multiple 
ministries, held business-to-business meetings with over 50 
Tunisian companies, and met with officials at the African 
Development Bank.  The delegates reported their meetings as 
useful, with some companies looking to set up in Tunisia as a 
platform for business in the Maghreb and others focusing 
solely on the Tunisian market.  At least four companies are 
set to come back to Tunisia to continue dialogue, finalize 
deals, or sign partnership agreements as a result of their 
meetings during this visit.  Unfortunately, we received the 
participant list from the Department of Commerce only four 
weeks before the trip date, meaning at least four other 
companies who told us they were interested in Tunisia decided 
they were unable to join the delegation due to lack of 
advance notice.  With 74 American companies already 
established in Tunisia, plus Lockheed Martin's February 16 
signing for the sale of two C-130Js to the Ministry of 
Defense, the climate is ripe for further U.S. commercial 
engagement with Tunisia. 
 
¶2. (SBU) The U.S. trade mission to Tunisia represented a 
valuable opportunity to demonstrate the potential for further 
U.S.-Tunisia trade and investment.  The GOT rolled out a red 
carpet for these companies and was eager to showcase Tunisia 
as an investment destination.  The Tunisian private sector 
was likewise keen on partnering with U.S. firms.  With a 
sizeable number of U.S. companies already operating here, 
plus Tunisia's strategic geographic location as a platform 
for both the Maghreb and Europe, it is clear that 
opportunities for U.S. business in Tunisia exist.  We were 
pleased to be able to host the eight companies that traveled 
to Tunisia, and stand ready to host future delegations.  Had 
Tunisia had been included in the Executive Trade Mission from 
the start, as the Embassy repeatedly requested, it would have 
allowed all 24 delegates to explore opportunities here for a 
relatively low additional cost.  It should always be our 
mission, especially now in view of President Obama's recently 
launched National Export Initiative, to expose companies to 
additional markets fertile to U.S. exports.  End summary and 
comment. 
 
-------------------------- 
Overview of the Delegation 
-------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) A U.S. trade delegation, composed of eight companies 
in the telecom, defense, construction, energy, and aviation 
sectors, visited Tunisia on February 14-16 as an extra stop 
in conjunction with the Department of Commerce-led Executive 
Trade Mission to Algeria and Libya.  The eight companies were 
Raytheon (Defense, Renewable Energy, and Port Security), 
Motorola (Telecom), Boeing (Aviation), TJJA Architects 
(Architecture), Hill International (Construction Management), 
Wall Ties and Forms (Concrete Forms), CMF Distribution (Pipes 
and Valves), and Capstone Turbine (Turbines for Energy). 
During their time in Tunisia, the delegates met with 
high-level Government of Tunisia officials, had 
business-to-business meetings with over 50 Tunisian 
companies, and liaised with officials from the African 
Development Bank.  They also had a chance to meet with 
executives from the 74 U.S. companies currently based in 
Tunisia, and dozens of Tunisian private sector and government 
leaders, at an evening reception hosted by the Ambassador. 
There was positive coverage of the visit in the Tunisian 
press, in part thanks to the delegates' willingness to do 
one-on-one media interviews. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Overall, delegates reported the visit to be very 
useful.  Some companies, such as Raytheon and Motorola, came 
to Tunisia primarily for reconnaissance and familiarization, 
 
TUNIS 00000134  002 OF 003 
 
 
but actually came away with some real possibilities for 
business (see paragraphs five and six).  Others, such as CMF 
Distribution, will reportedly make a sale thanks to a meeting 
arranged by the Embassy.  A clear trend with many of the 
participants was their inclination to look to Tunisia as an 
ideal base to serve the Maghreb market, as well as the nearby 
EU.  At least three of the companies are planning follow-up 
visits to Tunisia later in the year to explore opportunities 
garnered during the delegation's visit. 
 
---------------- 
A GOT Red Carpet 
---------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Although many meetings were not confirmed until 24 
hours before the visit, the GOT came through with a series of 
high-level meetings for the delegation.  The entire group met 
with Minister of Development and International Cooperation 
Mohamed Jouini, who identified information technology (IT), 
manufacturing, aeronautics, health care, and skills platforms 
as key areas in the Tunisian development strategy.  In 
addition, the GOT arranged meetings with Minister of 
Communication Technologies Mohamed Ammar, the Ministry of 
Defense, the Ministry of Industry and Technology's official 
in charge of renewable energy, the Ministry of 
Transportation's Director of Civil Aviation, and the Ministry 
of Public Works, Housing, and Land Management.  It also 
facilitated one-on-one company meetings with senior leaders 
of the state-owned electricity utility, Societe Tunisienne 
d'Electricite et du Gaz (STEG), the Tunisian Ports Authority 
(OMMP), the national water distribution utility (SONEDE) and 
the national sanitation utility (ONAS).  All companies also 
had a chance to meet with the Ministry of Development and 
International Cooperation's Foreign Investment Promotion 
Agency. 
 
-------------------- 
Handshakes and Deals 
-------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) By virtue of her extended visit (February 12 
arrival), Marleine Davis, Director for Middle East and North 
Africa for Government Relations for Motorola, was able to 
canvas the IT/Telecom sector thoroughly, which led her to 
report she would recommend a sales and technical team return 
to Tunisia for follow-on discussions.  Davis met with the CEO 
of the state-owned mobile and fixed telephony company, 
Tunisie Telecom (TT), and its main private competitor, 
Tunisiana.  TT and Motorola discussed the potential sale of 
3G, 4G, and Wimax technology as well as Motorola's solution 
for multivendor optimization, a system that TT could use to 
streamline their management of technical subcontractors.  She 
noted the meetings with the Ministry of Communications were 
most useful, as the Ministry took her on an extensive visit 
of the El Ghazala technopole and also arranged meetings with 
senior representatives of the Tunisian Postal Service. 
Motorola also saw potential in the Ministry of Defense's need 
for mission-critical communications systems, either through 
Foreign Military Financing (FMF) or Foreign Military Sales 
(FMS).  Davis said she would look first to sales in Tunisia, 
but down the line to possible partnership and research and 
development opportunities. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Raytheon, represented by Kevin Massengill, Regional 
Executive for the MENA Region, and Jim Piner, Regional 
Manager for North Africa and the Levant, found potential in 
the renewable energy, port security, and cyber-security 
sectors and may look to Tunisia to set up a manufacturing 
center for component parts.  Based on their meeting with the 
Ministry of Industry and Technology (MOIT), Massengill said 
they would follow up on a potential sale of wind tunnel 
technology as part of Tunisia's plan to have over 15 percent 
of energy from renewable sources by 2016.  During the meeting 
with OMMP (the national Ports Authority), Piner learned that 
a tender for Vessel Traffic and Maritime Systems (VTMS) for 
six Tunisian ports plus the entire coastline, which had never 
been published in order to fold it into a bilateral agreement 
between the Italians and the Tunisians, was not moving 
forward as planned.  The OMMP's director for port security 
said the purchase, to be financed with a 20 million Euro line 
of credit for port security upgrades, had been stalled since 
2007 and OMMP was looking for alternatives.  Piner said he 
would study the VTMS project and likely return in April 2010 
to also discuss cyber-security products for the GOT.  He 
added that he did not see Raytheon following up on any 
 
TUNIS 00000134  003 OF 003 
 
 
defense-related sales. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Other companies, such as Capstone Turbine, said they 
would return to Tunisia to follow up on sales/partnership 
opportunities.  Capstone's Director of Policy and 
Distribution Development, Justin Rathke, indicated he wished 
to sign a distribution contract for Tunisia, Libya, and 
Algeria, and would return to finalize distribution agreements 
with a Tunisian engineering company introduced to him by the 
Embassy.  In addition, STEG, the national energy utility, may 
purchase some of Capstone's micro-turbines for backup in 
power plants.  Ramon Castillo, President of CMF Distributors, 
met with a Tunisian golf course developer who will place an 
order for CMF's products.  Castillo will also follow up with 
opportunities offered by the GOT's water management agencies 
(SONEDE and ONAS). 
 
¶9. (SBU) Boeing's Director of Government and Industrial 
Relations for the MENA Region, Denise Faulhaber, came to 
Tunisia largely to learn about the market and maintain 
Boeing's visibility here.  She declined to meet with the 
state-owned airline Tunisair, and instead met with the 
Ministry of Transportation's Director of Civil Aviation, 
Hamadi Ben Khalifa, who shared that Tunisiar was banking on 
early delivery of Airbus A350 aircraft.  According to 
Faulhaber, this may not happen on schedule, which could 
present a potential sales opportunity for Boeing.  Faulhaber 
also met with the Tunisian Aerospace Chamber (GITAS) to get 
an overview of the aeronautical sector and visited Eurocast, 
a factory that makes components for fuel injectors used in 
engines (which end up in Boeing aircraft).  Based on the 
GITAS meeting, Boeing may participate in the second edition 
of the "Aerospace Meetings" to be held in Tunisia in July 
¶2010.  Faulhaber also spent a considerable amount of time 
fending off rumors that Boeing was planning to build a plant 
in Tunisia.  The Embassy has identified the economic 
newspaper which provided the faulty reporting and will follow 
up. 
 
¶10. (SBU) The remaining companies, Hill International, TJJ 
Architects, and Wall-Ties and Forms, also had a full schedule 
of meetings, including a courtesy call with the Ministry of 
Public Works, Housing, and Land Management.  Hill is present 
in every country in the Maghreb except Tunisia, and will 
return to follow up with one engineering company introduced 
during the business-to-business (B-2-B) luncheon.  The 
representative from TJJ Architects, who was looking for 
Tunisian partners to cover the Libya and Algeria markets, 
plus a French-speaking liaison for business in Haiti, was 
pleased with his meetings but did not indicate whether he had 
any solid leads.  One of the architecture firms he met with, 
however, said partnering with American architecture firms 
would help Tunisian companies enter the Libyan market, as it 
would raise their profile and cement credibility.  Wall Ties 
and Forms was pleased with the schedule, but did not meet up 
with the right partners to market their concrete forming 
systems, which are mostly for middle-income residential use. 
 
-------------------- 
Missed Opportunities 
-------------------- 
 
¶11. (SBU) Although the trade mission provided a relatively 
low-cost, no-hassle addition to the trip (total cost for 
participants for logistics was $141, hotel was $107/night and 
all meal costs were folded into events), at least four 
companies declined the offer to visit Tunisia because they 
were not given enough advance notice (Bechtel, YSI, UDI, and 
SSC Medical). (Note: No visa is needed for Americans visiting 
Tunisia and there are multiple daily direct flights to 
Algiers.  End note.)  The Department of Commerce did not 
forward us the list of participating companies until January 
15, and by then many delegates had already purchased plane 
tickets and booked their schedules.  One company, Severn 
Trent, was set to come but then cancelled last-minute due to 
a personal emergency.  There was a strong interest in Tunisia 
among the delegates, and some companies who did not come on 
the mission, such as Harley Davidson and Pratt and Whitney, 
expressed interest in traveling to Tunisia on their own. 
GRAY