International Travel Requirements
International Travel is funded under
the US Department of Agriculture, Foreign Market Development
Programs. There are a number of requirements for reimbursement under
this program. Some of those requirements may be completed by the SEC
Staff prior to and during the planning of you trip. Full travel
requirements are covered under the USDA Travel regulations.
Notification Letter
A notification letter to the country attaché or minister must be submitted two weeks before your travel. A copy of this letter must be attached to you travel report and expenses submitted to SEC for payment. SEC staff may submit the letter for you if you are part of a group and supply you with a copy.
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Expense Account Guidelines
Your travel expenses will be covered for the days you travel as long as the travel is related to FAS/SEC promotional activities. Your meal costs are covered under a daily per diem rate (M&IE) for the city that you are lodging in. These per diem rates can change monthly. Foreign per diem rates are available through this SEC website link.
Submit a separate expense account covering your expenses for each trip that you take. Since most of your travel expenses will be in country, you should submit an account in the local currency, total it, and convert to US dollars at the bottom of the page. Any US dollar expenses (airfares, cabs from home, airport parking, etc.) should be submitted on a separate expense sheet. You should note the conversion rate you used and its source, such as an attached conversion voucher. You may also use the currency conversion website located as a link on the SEC website.
Keep receipts for all your travel expenses. This includes taxicabs, and major bus and train travel. Local subway and streetcars are difficult to gather receipts and may be figured in your meals and incidental expenses (M&IE) daily per diem. You need actual hotel receipts or folios, not just the credit card voucher or reservation receipt from an internet provider. FAS will pay the actual hotel room rate, up to the per diem amount. Note that in some countries, the daily rate may change to match the US Embassy rate in US dollars to the local currency.
You must provide the hard copy airline Passenger Receipt as proof of your airline travel. It is the final page of your airline ticket or a printout from the airlines. All Passenger Receipts must have the airfare calculation price printed on the ticket receipt or printout at "check-in". E-tickets, Travel agent invoices and receipts, bulk fare or travel consolidator tickets, copies of the tickets, and boarding passes are NOT acceptable to the FAS auditor as proof of travel and will not be reimbursed.
Air travel on US flag carriers is required when travel is between the US and a foreign country or when available outside the US. Code share flights must show the US carrier flight number. This requirement is not influenced by factors of cost, convenience, or personal travel preference.
FAS regulations allow for communications (telephone and internet) charges at $15.00 per day. A traveler with 10 days travel time would be allowed up to $150 of communications charges per trip.
All expenses are subject to after the fact audit by the SEC staff after any trip and by the FAS compliance review staff on an annual basis. Expenses may be disallowed after the fact. Any SEC member whose expenses are disallowed by the FAS annual audit will be liable for the difference.
Travel Checklist
2 - 3 weeks prior to travel...
- Notify SEC of intent to travel:
- Location: Japan, China, Europe, etc.
- Time period: Date of departure and return
- General Activities: Trade show, trade servicing, seminar
- SEC will send a Travel Notification Letter to the US agricultural officials at your travel location. This is required at least 15 days prior to departure for FAS reimbursements.
- If you are a first time traveler, SEC will provide you with an estimated expense and per diem schedule for your trip.
- Secure a VISA for the country you are traveling to. (China, India, etc.)
1- 2 weeks after the travel is completed...
- Submit expense reimbursement request to SEC Portland office. Include the following:
- Signed Expense Report and all receipts for travel including :
- Airline ticket passenger receipt
- Hotel folio vouchers or receipts for each stay
- Surface transportation tickets
- FAS Trip Report
- SEC Matching Funds worksheet
- Copy of per Diem rate sheet (from internet or SEC)
Trip Report (see sample below)
You will be required to submit a Trip Report for your trip covering where you went, whom you saw, and what you did. The report will be distributed to FAS, other cooperator associations, and SEC members. A copy of a typical report is attached. Group reports are acceptable for trade missions, and other multimember promotional functions. FAS will not reimburse for travel expenses without a Trip Report.
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TRIP REPORT
October 3- October 6, 1995
MAP PLAN FY2006,
ACTIVITY C45MX, International Travel
A. TRAVELERS:
Craig Larsen - President
Softwood Export Council
Portland, Oregon
B. PURPOSE OF TRAVEL:
To participate in the 1995 CONSTRUCTION EXPO trade show and to meet with WWPA/SFPA and APA Mexican consultants and discuss the strategic plan for 1995. To review market uses of western wood species in Mexico, to meet with Mexican public relations consultant and understand support needs of Mexican staff.
C. ITINERARY:
October
3 - Tue - Travel to Tijuana, Mexico
4 - Wed - Expo Convencion
5 - Thur - Expo Convencion6 - Fri - Return to Portland, USA
D. SUMMARY OF MEETINGS / OBSERVATIONS:
Construction Expo Builders Show.
Attended the Expo trade show in Tijuana, Mexico and helped man the SFPA/WWPA/APA booth. The trade show was well attended with many people signed up for additional information on wood products, including requests for wood frame construction information. Several architect/builders, were interested in wood frame for low cost housing in Tijuana. The booth featured the new SPC\WWPA graphics, including pictures of wood frame housing in Mexico.The trade show had a number of interesting displays, including a panelized house and a full size mock-up of steel frame residential construction. One university was showing its student designs in how to use pallets to construct low, low-cost housing units.
Met with John Kernal from the PR and Advertising agency to discuss current and future activities. Kernal will produce a Mexican version of the WWPA export wholesalers list, and review other current WWPA literature for possible conversion to Mexican use.
E. NAMES OF PRINCIPAL CONTACTS:
Ramon Echnique SFPA/WWPA Mexican Representative
Phillipe Mercado APA Mexican Consultant
John Kernal Jaenicke Marketing Works
F. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Mexican marketplace is slowly recovering and showing some interest in using wood products for non traditional uses, such as housing. The biggest interest continues to be where wood frame construction is known and acceptable such as in Tijuana and the northern border states near the USA. Earthquake activity in southern Mexico also continues to induce interest in the safety and strength benefits of wood frame design. A stable economy will do much to help wood products exports to Mexico.
SFPA/WWPA is now getting a critical mass of knowledge on the marketplace and proper Mexican language publications to become effective in the promotion of structural and non-structural softwood products. Non-structural wood products for materials handling, and interior uses have the greatest short term potential for use in Mexico. Activities by the PR firm in placing ads and product publicity have been effective in gaining placement in the construction and materials handling publications.
Continued participation in regional trade shows, especially in the northern states is necessary to provide basic construction information to builders, designers, and the distribution trade. A possible promotion at a future construction trade show would be to have US firms donate lumber, panel products and connectors, and have "carpentry students" from a local trade school assemble wood frame panels and a simple panelized structure during the trade show. You could even donate it to the local housing authority after the show
Cc: FAS Washington
FAS - Mexico
SEC - Portland / Members
Association Company Participation Program (ACPp)
How the ACPp works:
- The SEC funds international travel for participants to promote US softwood products and participate in US trade events under the generic USDA programs.
- Participating member company staff are designated representatives of the participating Trade Association and are thereby eligible for travel reimbursements.
- Participating member companies contribute traveling dues at the ratio of $1 for $4 of travel reimbursement i.e. $750 in dues =$3,000 in travel reimbursements.
- Primary travel must be tied to a US industry trade event. Secondary (company specific) travel is allowed but not covered by SEC funding.
- US federal travel regulations apply:
- US Airline for travel to and from the USA (passenger receipt required for reimbursement)
- Air fare limited to full fare coach
- Reimbursement limited to the generous US published travel per diems for hotels, meals and incidental expenses ( M&IE)
How do Companies participate.
- Companies identify the trade event that they would like to participate in and notify their SEC member trade group and the SEC staff of their request.
- SEC and its international staff may provide travel assistance in hotels reservations, trade show registration and other FAS travel requirements.
- Member companies travels and participates in trade events.
- Member company submits acceptable receipts and expenses for the trip to SEC for payment. (Airline = passenger receipt, Hotel = folio, etc)
- SEC returns a check for the FULL amount of reimbursable travel expenses, and an invoice for 25% of the cost of the trip for the special travel related association dues.
- Example: reimbursable travel expenses = $3,200. Special dues = $800
All US government travel regulations apply.
Matching
Funds Trip Worksheet
Matching funds worksheets are
available as pdf files.
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