[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 15, Volume 2]
[Revised as of January 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 15CFR310.1]

[Page 36-37]
 
                  TITLE 15--COMMERCE AND FOREIGN TRADE
 
 CHAPTER III--INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
 
PART 310_OFFICIAL U.S. GOVERNMENT RECOGNITION OF AND PARTICIPATION IN 
INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITIONS HELD IN THE UNITED STATES--Table of Contents
 
Sec.  310.1  Background and purpose.

    The regulations in this part are issued under the authority of Pub. 
L. 91-269 (84 Stat. 271, 22 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.) which establishes an 
orderly procedure for Federal Government recognition of, and 
participation in, international expositions to be held in the United 
States. The Act provides, inter alia, that Federal recognition of an 
exposition is to be granted upon a finding by the President that such 
recognition will be in the national interest. In making this finding, 
the President is directed to consider, among other factors, a report 
from the Secretary of Commerce as to the purposes and reasons for an 
exposition and the extent of financial and other support to be provided 
by the State and local officials and business and community leaders 
where the exposition is to be held, and a report by the Secretary of 
State to determine whether the exposition is qualified for registration 
under Bureau of International Expositions (BIE) rules. The BIE is an 
international organization established by the Paris Convention of 1928 
(T.I.A.S. 6548 as amended by T.I.A.S. 6549) to regulate the conduct and 
scheduling of international expositions in which foreign nations are 
officially invited to participate. The BIE divides international 
expositions into different categories and types and requires each member 
nation to observe specified minimum time intervals in scheduling each of 
these categories and types of expositions. \1\

[[Page 37]]

Under BIE rules, member nations may not ordinarily participate in an 
international exposition unless such exposition has been approved by the 
BIE. The United States became a member of the BIE on April 30, 1968, 
upon ratification of the Paris Convention by the U.S. Senate (114 Cong. 
Rec. 11012).
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    \1\ The BIE defines a General Exposition of the First Category as an 
exposition dealing with progress achieved in a particular field applying 
to several branches of human activity at which the invited countries are 
obligated to construct national pavilions. A General Exposition of the 
Secondary Category is a similar exposition at which invited countries 
are not authorized to construct national pavilions, but occupy space 
provided by the exposition sponsors. Special Category Expositions are 
those dealing only with one particular technique, raw material, or basic 
need.
    The BIE frequency rules require that an interval of 15 years must 
elapse between General Expositions of the First Category held in one 
country. General Expositions of the Second Category require an interval 
of 10 years. An interval of 5 years must ordinarily elapse between 
Special Category Expositions of the same kind in one country or three 
months between Special Category Expositions of different kinds. These 
frequency intervals are computed from the date of the opening of the 
exposition.
    More detailed BIE classification criteria and regulations are 
contained in the Paris Convention of 1928, as amended in 1948 and 1966. 
Applicants not having a copy of the text of this convention may obtain 
one by writing the Director. (The Convention may soon be amended by a 
Protocol which has been approved by the BIE and ratified by the United 
States. This amendment would increase authorized frequencies or 
intervals for BIE approved expositions.)


Federal participation in a recognized international exposition requires 
a specific authorization by the Congress, upon a finding by the 
President that such participation would be in the national interest. The 
Act provides for the transmission to Congress of a participation 
proposal by the President. This proposal transmits to the Congress 
information regarding the exposition, including a statement that it has 
been registered by the BIE and a plan for Federal participation prepared 
by the Secretary of Commerce in cooperation with other interested 
Federal departments and agencies.