the GSM- 102 program, but which over a longer term may in fact 

 be creditworthy for a commercial credit program over perhaps a 10- 

 year period. This might involve a very careful individually tailored 

 structuring of any credit we might advance to meet terms of re- 

 scheduling and IMF agreements that these particular countries 

 have in place. 



Let me turn from credit to speak about our commodity analysis 

 for just a moment. Our commodity analysis data base is the accept- 

 ed data base worldwide for trade data. However, there is one area 

 where we think it needs to be augmented. We do not have yet suffi- 

 cient data on what our competitors are doing in markets around 

 the world. This is an important new focus for our commodity analy- 

 sis, and one where the TPCC process is going to be very helpful to 

 us as well. 



Let me close by talking for a moment about technical assistance. 

 FAS has now a number of technical assistance programs that we 

 operate, for one, the emerging democracies program. We think this 

 needs to be an emerging markets program, a somewhat broader 

 focus, if it is to have maximum value for U.S. agricultural exports. 



Next, let me talk a little bit about whether or not a new kind 

 of technical assistance program needs to be developed for U.S. agri- 

 culture, one that would be carefully delineated from the respon- 

 sibilities of AID, but which might do it from the nucleus of the Kiki 

 de la Garza program and become an expanded technical assistance 

 program that would serve U.S. agriculture more broadly in ex- 

 changes, in research, possibly in other ways. 



These are just a few of the ideas that we have developed as we 

 have begun our internal processes on these various planning exer- 

 cises. Obviously, these are ideas we want to share with our various 

 clients, with this subcommittee, and other committees here in the 

 Congress. I had the privilege of talking about some of them yester- 

 day at a seminar organized for participants of GSM- 102 program, 

 and out of that meeting as well, we got some very important sug- 

 gestions about how we can make that program more user friendly. 



So I look forward, Mr. Chairman, to continuing the work that we 

 are undertaking with this subcommittee, to develop some really 

 creative approaches over the coming year to how we better serve 

 and reach our goal of increasing agricultural exports. 



Thank you very much. 



[The prepared statement of Mr. Goldthwait appears at the con- 

 clusion of the hearing:] 



Mr. Penny. Thank you. Next, Mr. Mendelowitz. 



STATEMENT OF ALLAN I. MENDELOWITZ, MANAGING DIREC- 

 TOR, INTERNATIONAL TRADE, FINANCE, AND COMPETITD7E- 

 NESS, GENERAL GOVERNMENT DIVISION, U.S. GENERAL AC- 

 COUNTING OFFICE; ACCOMPANIED BY PHILLIP J. THOMAS, 

 ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND FI- 

 NANCE ISSUES; AND KENDALL C. GRAFFAM, EVALUATOR 



Mr. Mendelowitz. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As you pointed 

 out, Chris and I have appeared together at a number of your hear- 

 ings. But I have to say that this is the first hearing we have ap- 

 peared together since Chris was promoted to General Sales Man- 

 ager and Associate Administrator of FAS. 



