Agoa.info - African Growth and Opportunity Act
TRALAC - Trade Law Centre
You are here: Home/News/Article/Ethiopia's Ambassador to the US underlines the importance of AGOA

Ethiopia's Ambassador to the US underlines the importance of AGOA

Ethiopia's Ambassador to the US underlines the importance of AGOA
Ambassador Girma Birru
Published date:
Thursday, 05 February 2015

Ethiopia's Ambassador to the United States, Ambassador Girma Birru, has welcomed the decision of the US Department of Commerce to organize a "Business Development Conference and Trade Mission" to 8 African countries in September 2015".

He said the Trade Mission would offer a unique opportunity to explore, first-hand, the vast business and investment opportunities that exist in Africa in the various areas. Ambassador Girma noted the recent economic performance of the East African region has been remarkable by international standards.

The region is one of the fastest growing regions in the continent, with average GDP growth of 5% in 2013-2014, compared to the sluggish global economic performance of 2.4% during the same period and cited Ethiopia as the third growing success economy in the world. Ambassador Girma was speaking at "Doing Business in East Africa," an occasion organized by the Embassies of Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania in collaboration with the US Commerce Department, as an opportunity to exchange information and network with US trade officials and members of the African diplomatic community. Ambassador Girma also referred to the importance of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) which he said has served as the cornerstone of U.S.-Africa commercial relations. AGOA is due to expire at the end of September, 2015 and it is important that it is reauthorized by Congress. African governments and the private sector are concerned about the delay in reauthorization of AGOA which could result in unnecessary disruptions in commercial transactions. He called for action to ensure uninterrupted continuation of AGOA and said "I would like to take this opportunity to express our continued commitment to collaborate with the U.S. Government and the private sector to make the September Trade Mission to Africa a success, thereby contributing to the strengthening of our economic ties."

The occasion was attended by the Ambassadors of Kenya and Tanzania to the US, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for US Operations and the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Europe, the Middle East and Africa as well as the Chairman of the Virginia-Washington DC, District Export Council, and representatives of the Corporate Council on Africa and businesses.

Read related news articles

US official reveals Ethiopia’s request for AGOA eligibility ‘still pending’, decision unlikely at upcoming forum

A US State Department official has disclosed that the decision to reinstate Ethiopia’s eligibility for the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is “still pending”. Constance Hamilton, Assistant US Trade Representative for Africa, made this statement during a digital press briefing held on Thursday.  “Those decisions are still pending,” Ms Hamilton told journalists from the continent, and that “there probably will not be...

27 October 2023

State Secretary Blinken praises Ethiopia on Tigray peace, no return to trade programme yet

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken praised Ethiopia on Wednesday for its progress in implementing a peace deal to end the Tigray conflict, but stopped short of ushering the country back into a U.S. trade programme. Visiting Ethiopia to repair relations that were strained by the two-year war in the northern region, Blinken met with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and discussed ongoing efforts to solidify peace, restore basic services and address...

13 March 2023

Ethiopia asks US to reinstate AGOA trade benefits as US Secretary of State Blinken heads to Addis, Niger

Ethiopia is asking the Joe Biden administration to reinstate its duty-free access to the US market, arguing that “exceptional circumstances” warrant an immediate re-examination of its suspension just as Secretary of State Antony Blinken heads to Addis Ababa to discuss the cessation of hostilities in Tigray. The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) terminated Ethiopia’s participation in the African Growth and Opportunity Act...

09 March 2023

Kenya 'reaps Sh10 billion after Ethiopia's ban from AGOA deal'

Kenya earned an additional Sh10.2 billion from its exports to the US as Nairobi reaped big from Ethiopia’s suspension from a duty-free trade pact. Last year, Kenya’s exports to the US — mostly apparel were valued at Sh59.6 billion, a jump of more than a fifth from Sh49.4 billion in 2020 as Kenyan traders sold more goods through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), a free trade agreement between Washington and select African...

24 May 2022

US Senator requests return of Ethiopia to AGOA

A U.S senator has requested the senate to return Ethiopia to AGOA as it has been progressing in many aspects. U.S. Senator from Virginia Mark Warner said the U.S. should strengthen and improve the trade relationship between Africa specifically Ethiopia. The Ethiopian government has been pending progress in many aspects, especially the ceasefire. The trade relation between Africa specifically with Ethiopia is important. “We do that...

05 April 2022

In Ethiopia, Guinea and Mali, fears rise over losing duty-free access to US market

For Sammy Abdella, the new year has brought bad tidings: the prospect of a steep drop in sales of scarves, rugs, baskets and other textile goods produced by Sammy Handmade in Ethiopia. “The U.S. market is our main destination,” said Abdella, who estimates it accounts for nearly two-thirds of sales for his Addis Ababa-based home decor and fashion company. “So, losing that put us in a very, you know, bad situation.” The source of...

20 January 2022

US takes Ethiopia, Mali, Guinea off AGOA program

The United States on Saturday cut Ethiopia, Mali and Guinea from access to a duty-free trade program, following through on President Joe Biden's threat to do so over accusations of human rights violations and recent coups. "The United States today terminated Ethiopia, Mali and Guinea from the AGOA trade preference program due to actions taken by each of their governments in violation of the AGOA Statute," the U.S. Trade Representative's...

01 January 2022

Despite a late push, Ethiopia is set to exit the US trade pact

Despite a last-minute drive backed by diaspora members who fear that Washington may lose an ally, Ethiopia is likely to lose important commercial privileges in the United States on January 1 due to human rights concerns. President Joe Biden said on November 2 that Ethiopia, a longtime US ally and the continent’s second most populous country, will be removed from the African Growth and Opportunity Act in the New Year, citing “grave...

30 December 2021

US President terminates AGOA preferences for Ethiopia, Mali and Guinea

U.S. President Joe Biden announced yesterday that he has “determined that Ethiopia, Guinea, and Mali do not meet” the AGOA requirements described in section 506A(a)(1) and has proceeded to “terminate the designation of the three countries as beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries …effective January 1, 2022.” On November 21, the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs lamented the impending decision by the U.S. to remove Ethiopia...

24 December 2021

Senator Van Hollen, Representative Bass urge Biden Administration to reconsider Ethiopia's suspension from AGOA

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-Calif.) urged President Biden to reconsider his Administration’s November 2, 2021 decision to terminate Ethiopia’s designation as a beneficiary country under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) at the end of this year. As the lawmakers note in their letter (download a copy at the link alongside), this decision will hurt the nation’s most vulnerable...

23 December 2021

US terminates duty-free trade access to Ethiopia over conflict

Ethiopia’s duty-free export access to the U.S. has been revoked by President Joe Biden due to its failure to meet the requirements, according to the White House. The action comes after 13 months of civil war in the country. Ethiopia is disqualified from participation in the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act due to gross violations of human rights, the U.S. Trade Representative said when it notified Ethiopia in November....

23 December 2021

You are here: Home/News/Article/Ethiopia's Ambassador to the US underlines the importance of AGOA