Agoa.info - African Growth and Opportunity Act
TRALAC - Trade Law Centre
You are here: Home/News/Article/US, Mauritius hold TIFA consultations

US, Mauritius hold TIFA consultations

US, Mauritius hold TIFA consultations
USTR Demetrios Marantis
Published date:
Monday, 23 January 2012

Deputy United States Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis has led a US delegation to Mauritius for talks with the local government under the US-Mauritius Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), to discuss a broad range of issues relating to their bilateral trade and investment relationship.

This was the fifth TIFA Council meeting with Mauritius, and the discussions included the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), the on-going US-Mauritius Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) discussions, intellectual property rights (IPR), services trade, and information communication and technology (ICT) principles.

As a result of the TIFA discussions, the two governments agreed on a number of key issues, including conclusion of the BIT, negotiation of a joint statement on ICT principles, technical support on IPR, and development of a new AGOA strategy.

In remarks to the Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Marantis confirmed that Mauritius had “made full use of the opportunities under the TIFA to liberalize and expand trade and investment,” while the imminent conclusion of the BIT “will help to reinforce Mauritius’s trade and economic reform efforts and improve Mauritius’s already favourable investment climate by providing high standards of investment protection”.

He added that Mauritius “serves as a model for other sub-Saharan African countries in its use of the generous trade opportunities that the US provides to African countries under AGOA”.

Mauritius’s AGOA exports to the US grew by 16% during 2010, in part due to a rise in apparel, toys, jewellery, eyeglasses and value-added agricultural exports.

Marantis pointed out that, while AGOA presents a key opportunity for AGOA beneficiary countries to export a broad range of goods duty-free to the US, Mauritius is one of a handful of AGOA beneficiary countries that has developed and implemented its AGOA strategy, exporting a diverse range of value-added, competitive products to the US.

Read related news articles

Mauritius drives to diversify as manufacturing stalls

Much of island’s economic success was built on textiles but rising labour costs underline need for high-tech products.Next to the motorway, heading north from Mauritius’ international airport, is a row of boxy apartment blocks festooned with washing hung out to dry. These are the cramped dormitories of thousands of foreign textile workers, the majority from Bangladesh. The hostels, which also house workers from Madagascar and Nepal,...

01 April 2022

Mauritius: Business minister urges SMEs to maximise AGOA benefits

The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) offers a duty-free access to the largest market in the world. Although it has the potential to be a major driving force in African development, the AGOA has been under utilised. With the renewal of AGOA up to 2025, it is high time to maximise its potential for Small and Medium Enterprises (SME). This statement was made yesterday by the Minister of Business, Enterprise and Cooperatives, Mr S....

06 April 2017

Mauritius: CCA board chair expresses confidence towards renewal of AGOA before Sept. 2015

The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA), Board Chair, Mr. Paul Hinks, expressed confidence that the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) will soon be cleared and renewed by the US Congress given that the existing legislation expires on 30 September 2015. The renewal of AGOA was at the fore of discussions during a courtesy call yesterday by a delegation of the CCA led by Mr Paul Hinks, on the Prime Minister, Sir Anerood Jugnauth, at the...

19 May 2015

Behind the times: Washington's slow changing attitude to Africa

Africa's international relationships are increasingly hinged on trade and investment rather than strategic security and aid, but attitudes in Washington are slow to change. While many Africans were celebrating President Barack Obama's re-election victory, arguably a more important leadership shift was taking place across the Indian Ocean. Xi Jinping, chosen by the Beijing elite to lead China for the next decade, may not be a household name...

16 January 2013

Mauritius Ambassador seeks extension of AGOA provision

The US capital is set next week to host the 11 th annual US-sub-Saharan Africa trade forum commonly known as the AGOA Forum. AGOA, an abbreviation for the African Growth and Opportunity Act, is an Act is designed to strengthen trade between the United States and sub-Saharan Africa by creating a preferential trade and investment relationship. Since its inception in 2000, about 38 African countries are currently benefiting from AGOA. The...

05 June 2012

Mauritius, Zambia plea for AGOA fabric rule extension

The ambassadors of Mauritius and Zambia to the US have made a joint appeal to the US Congress to extend the third-country fabric provision under the Africa Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) for the benefit of workers and businesses in the African countries as well as in the US. They said the passage of legislations S. 2007 and H.R. 2493 would enable the US to continue to receive high-quality textiles and apparels from Africa at competitive...

10 May 2012

Testimony of Florizelle Liser, Assistant USTR for Africa, on Obama Administration's trade policy to increase US exports to Africa

Statement of Florizelle Liser, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, before the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Human Rights:   Introduction Chairman Smith, Ranking Member Bass, and other distinguished members of the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today about the Obama Administration's trade policy to increase U.S. exports to Africa. I...

17 April 2012

US president’s 2012 trade policy agenda sets ambitious course to support American jobs

United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk issued a statement today upon the delivery to Congress of President Obama's 2012 Trade Policy Agenda and 2011 Annual Report. “Building on last year’s significant trade achievements, the Obama Administration is moving full speed ahead in 2012 with ambitious initiatives to secure job-supporting trade opportunities and a level playing field for U.S. firms of every size selling products and services...

02 March 2012

USTR Ambassador Marantis visits Mauritius

Following yesterday's consultations under the US - Mauritius Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis met with Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam. During their lengthy meeting, they discussed a number of issues regarding the U.S. economic relationship with Mauritius and the broader sub-Saharan region, including the extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act’s (AGOA)...

19 January 2012

United States, Angola hold high-level trade and investment talks

US and Angolan trade and development officials met today to discuss means for strengthening bilateral trade and investment ties. The meeting was the first held under the United States-Angola Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), which was signed in May 2009. The TIFA provides a high-level forum for advancing cooperation on the full spectrum of trade and investment issues between the United States and Angola. Assistant U.S. Trade...

28 June 2010

You are here: Home/News/Article/US, Mauritius hold TIFA consultations