Agoa.info - African Growth and Opportunity Act
TRALAC - Trade Law Centre
You are here: Home/News/Article/US Trade Ambassador Marantis begins three-country East Africa visit in Burundi

US Trade Ambassador Marantis begins three-country East Africa visit in Burundi

US Trade Ambassador Marantis begins three-country East Africa visit in Burundi
Ambassador Merantis
Published date:
Monday, 15 October 2012
Author:
Newsroom America

Today, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis began his three country East Africa visit in Burundi where he met with senior government officials and members of the private sector. Ambassador Marantis met with Second Vice President Gervais Rufyikiri, Commerce Minister Victoire Ndikumana, and other officials who were participating in a conference focused on rooting out corruption in Burundi. The officials discussed the Burundian government's reform agenda and its policies to increase economic growth and reduce poverty, particularly through increased trade and investment. Ambassador Marantis commended the Burundian Government on its efforts to reform the local business environment, which has significantly improved Burundi's ranking in the World Bank's "Doing Business" report. He encouraged them to continue such reforms.

Ambassador Marantis also pressed them to develop a national strategy to take advantage of the export opportunities provided by the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). In addition, he discussed how the new U.S.-East African Community (EAC) Trade and Investment Partnership can benefit Burundi, the EAC, and the United States by promoting investment and reducing bottlenecks to trade.

Ambassador Marantis then visited the Kazoza I'kawa Coffee Washing Station, one of the many coffee processing facilities in the country that have benefited from U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) assistance. Ambassador Marantis and local coffee farmers discussed how the open U.S. market for African-produced products, like coffee - coupled with development assistance provided by the United States - can create opportunities to increase incomes and reduce poverty in Burundi.

At his last stop of the day in Bujumbura, Ambassador Marantis met with local private-sector stakeholders. Participants at the meeting acknowledged the improved business climate in Burundi, but said that more could be done to help them take advantage of increased business opportunities in the region and with the United States.

Ambassador Marantis is in East Africa to advance the U.S.-East African Community (EAC) Trade and Investment Partnership, a model initiative to enhance regional integration among the five EAC partner states (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda) and two-way trade and investment between the EAC partner states and the United States. While on his three country visit, Ambassador Marantis will conduct bilateral meetings with partner state senior officials, visit African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) exporters, meet with various private sector organizations-including a meeting of all U.S. American Chambers of Commerce in sub-Saharan Africa-and participate in a special EAC trade Ministerial meeting with key leaders from all five EAC partner states.

Read related news articles

Kenya: 4th AmCham business summit to advocate for enhanced partnership and investment In US-East Africa trade

The fourth edition of the regional American Chamber of Commerce Kenya (AmCham) Business Summit, the premier platform for strengthening bilateral trade and investment between the United States, Kenya, and East Africa is set to be held on April 24–25, 2024, in Nairobi, Kenya. Kenya’s President William Ruto is confirmed as Chief Guest, leading a government delegation to the summit that aims to expand commercial opportunities and markets....

19 March 2024

'US-EAC trade pact comes into life amid disharmony'

The Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (Tifa) between the US and the East African Community has begun taking shape, with a section of the bloc’s members keen on it and others still biding their time. This week, US officials were in Nairobi to conduct part of the negotiations on the US-Kenya Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership and to meet Trade ministers from the region. On July 18, Trade ministers from Tanzania, Uganda,...

23 July 2023

US trade rep in Nairobi as Kenya's solo deals worry the EAC block [incl. Readouts]

The US trade representative is in Nairobi to co-lead a meeting that seeks Kenya's partnership in a fresh trade deal. The Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA Council) is pursuing various agreements even as regional peers express concern over Kenya's solo approach.  Yesterday, Trade Representative, Katherine Tai met patron circle members of the American Chamber of Commerce-Kenya (AmCham Kenya) ahead of today's...

17 July 2023

Africa seeks bigger US trade slice for AGOA to make sense

African countries may need more trade privileges with the US even as Washington reviews the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) meant to expand what the continent will export. At the end of the US-Africa summit in December, Washington pledged to renew Agoa, bringing clarity to uncertainties that had befell exporters from countries such as Kenya. But now experts say the narrow view of Agoa should be expanded to allow them to export more...

11 January 2023

EAC States challenged on trade agreements

The East African Community (EAC) partner states have been challenged to increase their volume of transactions under regional and international trade agreements. The region’s private sector trade block, East Africa Business Council, said it is imperative for the region to take advantage of opportunities such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), Economic partnership agreement, to...

23 August 2022

Kenya, Ethiopia ahead of region in benefits of AGOA treaty

Kenya led the East African Community members in its use of the Africa Growth Opportunity Act (Agoa) treaty, scoring 98 per cent. However, it came second to Ghana which recorded 99.1 per cent with Madagascar coming third at 93.7 per cent. According to data contained in the US Trade and Investment with sub-Saharan Africa: Recent Trends and New Developments report, Ethiopia at 81.9 per cent and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)...

26 May 2020

Report calls for joint marketing of EAC as investment destination and eradication of NTBs

A report of the recently concluded high level conference on trade integration notes that there is a downward trend on the profile of the East African Community (EAC) as an attractive investment destination. The report calls for the EAC Partner States to market EAC jointly, further consolidate free trade by eliminating individual State exemption lists, liberalize and allow free movement of trade and services, eradicate non-tariff barriers...

28 September 2019

East Africa exports to the US hit $1bn in the year to September 2018

Exports from East African countries to the US reached about $1 billion between October 2017 and September 2018, a 17 per cent increase from the same period the previous year. The United States Agency for International Development’s East Africa Trade and Investment Hub said apparel dominated the region’s sales at 84.4 per cent of exports. The Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) gives sub-Saharan Africa duty-free access to US markets...

31 December 2018

'Here's why the used clothing trade deserves more attention'

While friction over the ban of used clothing exports from the US to East Africa seems to have come to an end, some fundamental issues still remain, according to Shannon Brady and Sheng Lu from the University of Delaware. Their latest research throws up complex economic, social, legal and political factors linked with the trade in second-hand clothes and questions the effectiveness of preference programmes such as AGOA as a tool for economic...

11 December 2018

Hello, America! USAID, direct flights to increase AGOA exports to US

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) Hub will from November 2018 to March 2019 provide direct support in the audit and Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) certification process. Already, USAID is helping companies in the East African region become more export competitive. WRAP is a minimum standard for social compliance where US textile and apparel buyers procure products from ethical and socially compliant...

19 October 2018

'US threats force EAC to back down on secondhand clothes ban' - Article

East African countries have backed down on their initial stand on banning the importation secondhand clothing. Instead they will use of tax measures and incentives to spur local manufacturing. During the EAC Heads of State retreat on infrastructure and health financing in Kampala, the EAC presidents resolved to prioritise the development of a competitive domestic textile and leather sector to provide affordable clothes and leather products...

24 February 2018

You are here: Home/News/Article/US Trade Ambassador Marantis begins three-country East Africa visit in Burundi