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How to drive US investment to Africa - Opinion
When it was established during the Obama administration, the President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa—or its acronym PAC-DBIA—was an important initiative, and it still is highly relevant. After all, the body was charged with providing recommendations to the president of the United States through the secretary of commerce on how to increase the U.S. commercial presence in Africa. Who better to provide advice than some of...
17 June 2023
Blog: 'It’s Time for AGOA 2.0'
The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is set to expire in 2025. That may be the distant future for some but given the time required to pass trade legislation in the U.S. Congress, it’s the functional equivalent of tomorrow’s mid-day meal. Preparation for the post-AGOA trade relationship between the U.S. and Africa needs to begin now. AGOA has had important successes but improvements need to be made to the program. The...
25 September 2019
Africa in Focus: Is the US keeping pace in Africa?
Editor's Note: Below is a viewpoint from Chapter 6 of the report, which explores six overarching themes on the triumphs of the past years as well as strategies to tackle the remaining obstacles for Africa. What do India, Turkey, Japan, China, and the European Union have in common with Africa that the United States does not? Each country and the EU have held two or more summits with African heads of state. While there...
04 March 2019
Ethiopia: AGOA Ambassadors' Working Group testifies before US Commission
Ambassador Girma Birru, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia to the United States and current co-chair of the AGOA Ambassadors' Working Group in Washington, testified on Tuesday to the United States International Trade Commission. The Commission is holding hearings on issues relating to the reauthorization of the US African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Ambassador Girma told the Commission that AGOA remained the...
17 January 2014
US poultry sector questions African Trade Act extension
National chicken council representative Bill Roenigk has addressed the US International Trade Commission with concerns regarding trade acts which oppose US poultry trade in Africa. In 2000, the same year that the United States extended special duty preferences to many of the Republic of South Africa's exports under AGOA, South Africa imposed antidumping duties on US poultry. Prior to 2000, the US industry enjoyed a modest but respectable...
15 January 2014
AGOA: Economic effects of providing duty-free treatment for imports
On January 14, Witney Schneidman testified before the USITC on the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) renewal, which is set to expire in 2015. Dear Secretary: Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony on the four investigations related to the AGOA renewal discussions. My short testimony will offer selective comments on three of the four investigations. Tax Incentives: As it concerns the first investigation, AGOA:...
14 January 2014