News Search

The Commission of the African Union (AU) has urged member countries to push for the extension of Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) for the next 15 years to enable them maximise benefits through trade relations with the world. The AU Commissioner for Trade and Industry, Mrs Fatima Haram, gave the task last week at the extra ordinary conference of AU Ministers of Trade in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Haram called for effort to strengthen and maintain momentum toward the establishment of Continental Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) as soon as...

The government will consider giving some US producers the same access to the local market as the EU, if that’s what it takes to save its African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) benefits. Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies believes President Barack Obama plans to make this proposal at the first US-Africa summit, which he is convening in August. Agoa offers South Africa and most other African countries duty-free access to the US market for most of their goods. They do not have to reciprocate. Agoa has substantially boosted South...

The Kenyan Government plans to set up a fully serviced Textile City as part of the ongoing efforts to realign the textile and apparel sector to make it contribute significantly to the country’s economic growth prospects. The Textile City model to be championed by the Ministry of Industrialisation and Enterprise Development will besides foreign investments attraction, be one of the key pillars earmarked as the national job creation platforms. Industrialisation and Enterprise Development Cabinet Secretary Adan Mohamed said the efforts...

The African Union has urged member countries to push for the extension of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) for the next 15 years to enable them maximize benefits through trade relations with the world economy.Local media reports Monday quoted the AU’s commissioner for Trade and Industry, Mrs. Fatima Haram as saying that there should be renewed efforts to strengthen Africa’s link with AGOA, a trade mechanism by the US government to offer tangible incentives to African countries to continue their efforts to open their economies...

An extraordinary session of the Conference of the African Union Ministers of Trade kicked off on Wednesday in Addis Ababa. "The conference will discuss in detail documents [being prepared in advance of] the launch of the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) negotiations in 2015 in line with the roadmap that was adopted by the Summit of Heads of States and Government in January 2012," the African Union Commission said in a statement. "The meeting will also consider reports on Africa's response and implications of the Bali Agreement and...

The government has encouraged local and foreign investors to take advantage of the investment opportunities under the Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA). The Deputy Minister for Industry and Trade, Ms Janeth Mbene, said: "Investors stand a better chance to be successful if they invest through the EPZ and SEZ schemes due to their efficiency in terms of facilitation and incentives package offered." She said, through the two schemes investors could easily access the global markets including those with preferential trade arrangements...

The all-important Industrial Relations (amendment) Bill of 2014, whose passing is crucial to the kingdom’s continued AGOA eligibility status, has been withdrawn from parliament – exactly 34 days before the May 15 deadline. The main reason for withdrawing the Bill, the Sunday Observer has been informed, is that it does not meet the five benchmarks related to the continued eligibility to participate in the AGOA programme. Manzini North MP Jan Sithole, who is chairperson of the portfolio committee on labour and social security, withdrew...

Should Swaziland lose its African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) eligibility status, it would be difficult to be re-admitted into the programme. This has been emphasised by a delegation from the United States of America which arrived in the country on Monday to assess progress made by the government in implementing five benchmarks related to eligibility to continue participating in AGOA. AGOA is a US preferential trade programme that provides duty-free access to the US market for products from eligible sub-Saharan African...

Experts have said that Nigeria is not making progress in products exporting to the United States of America under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) due to poor packaging and not observing environmental laws. The experts spoke weekend at a training programme for the small medium enterprises (SME) organised by the Bank of Industry in Lagos. AGOA was signed into law in 14 years ago by the America government to expand trade between United States and Sub-Saharan countries, to stimulate economic growth by providing duty free treatment...

The Trade Hub participated in Interstoff Asia Essential, a major bi-annual textiles and apparel trade show that brings in over 7000 participants at each event. This was the Trade Hub’s third visit to the prestigious trade show.  It was at a previous Interstoff Asia event that the Trade Hub linked up with Phillips-Van Heusen (PVH), the large U.S.-based retailer which has since established its Africa headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.  The spring edition of Interstoff Asia was held March 19-21 in Hong Kong and attracted buyers...

Texray Swaziland, the kingdom’s biggest textile company, is shaken by the prospect of the country losing its AGOA benefits and 2 000 jobs could be on the line. Jim Wang, the company’s spokesperson, said 50 per cent of the company’s products were exported directly to the USA. So if the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) no longer becomes applicable to Swaziland, it means import duties will now have to be paid for  50 per cent (of) products. He said this was not a desirable situation because of the loss of economic benefits...

Swaziland's Minister of Labour and Social Security Winnie Magagula has explained the importance of the Industrial Relations (Amended) Bill to be passed in Parliament as it would play an important role regarding the AGOA threat [of non-renewal for Swaziland]. Magagula stated in Parliament that the Industrial Relations Act was one of the few pointed areas which the International Labour Organisation (ILO) had said needed to be addressed by the country. This followed the lack of a provision for the registration of federations by...

The Zambia Association of Manufacturers (ZAM) has called for incentives that will improve Zambia's chances of penetrating the Africa Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) apparel market. ZAM chief executive officer Maybin Nsupila said predictable economic policies were imperative if the country's chances of penetrating the United States (US) AGOA market were to brighten. Mr Nsupila said in an interview that a predictable policy environment can attract more investors in the textile industry which is the main source of exports to the AGOA...

Large quantities of yam exported to the US from Ghana have been rejected, as most were found to be unwholesome upon arrival in that country. Robert Baffuor Tandor of the Ministry of Trade & Industry’ Standards Directorate, who confirmed this to Business Guide in an interview, said the Ministry was putting necessary measures in place to address the problem. “We received complaints in February, this year from a Ghanaian company in the US that buys yams from Ghanaian exporters that the commodity gets rotten within some few days after...

In recent weeks, chicken producers in the US have reportedly called for their government to withdraw South Africa’s duty-free benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). This comes at a time when Agoa, the centrepiece of US commercial relations with sub-Saharan Africa, is under review before its expiry on September 30 next year. It should be noted that, aside from the views of US chicken producers, most US business interests and associations have supported Agoa’s extension and South Africa’s continued inclusion in...

Chinese labour is cheap, sure – but Ethiopian labour is even cheaper. As margins get tighter at home, Chinese companies are looking further afield, and many are settling on Ethiopia as an attractive alternative for their factories and plants.  At 6.45am the first bus halts outside the main gates of the Eastern Industry Zone. The doors clang open. Bleary-eyed young men and women begin to emerge and brace against the chill morning air. A second, then a third and fourth bus arrives from the nearby dormitories, disgorging more and more...

Ethiopia is fast becoming a rising star for sourcing garments. The country's efforts to build its textile and garment industry and offer competitive prices have attracted a growing number of new buyers in recent years. Michelle Russell takes a closer look at the growth taking place in this developing market and what it has to offer those willing to invest. Ethiopia's clothing and textile sector is undergoing rapid expansion fuelled by foreign investment as companies seek to reduce their reliance on countries like China and...

The message from the Americans is loud and clear: Swaziland has to ‘fully’ comply with five conditions or lose their eligibility to participate in the Africa Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) programme. In an exclusive interview on Friday, United States of America Ambassador to Swaziland Makila James said there was no longer any room for negotiations with the kingdom on the conditions that have to be met. Listing the conditions, she said they include full passage of amendments to the Industrial Relations Act; full passage of amendments to...

US ambassador to South Africa Patrick Gaspard has warned the South African Government that its “unnecessary and unscientific” trade barriers on US food imports are jeopardising the renewal of the vital African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The legislation gives duty-free access to the US market for most South African exports. It is up for renewal in the US Congress next year, but US agribusinesses in particular are lobbying hard for South Africa to be cut out of it. Gaspard also warned that uncertainty over government policies and...

Technical Officials from the East African Community (EAC) and the United States (U.S.) met 12 to 15 February 2014 in Bujumbura, Burundi to discuss Trade Africa and the EAC - U.S. Trade and Investment Partnership (TIP). In particular, the Technical Officials discussed among others, the Ministerial guidance provided in August 2013; AGOA; Regional Investment Treaty; Trade Facilitation; Trade Capacity Building, and Commercial Dialogue. Both Parties reviewed a summary of the last EAC - U.S. Trade Ministerial Meeting held on the sidelines of the...

US poultry producers are lobbying their government to withdraw South Africa's duty-free access in retaliation for anti-dumping duties, which they say are unfair. South Africa enjoys duty-and quota-free access to the US market for about 6,800 product lines, in part thanks to the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which grants most African countries preferential market access without any reciprocity required for US goods. Latest available figures show South Africa exports to the US under Agoa totalled $3.7bn (R40.8bn) in...

In what could be a 'breakthrough' for both the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the European Union (EU), the EU announced that "the two entities reached a deal at the level of senior officials on EPAs, more than a decade after negotiations began. A final meeting to officially endorse the deal as it stands is foreseen in Brussels for early February. It will then have to be endorsed by West African Heads of State."   While similar reports in the past were premature, there is strong evidence that this may be correct...

The United States Government is going to conduct a special review for continuation of benefits under the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) to Swaziland this year, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR). Under the AGOA, the US grants duty-free access of specific products, including textiles and clothing, from African countries to its market. AGOA contains specific criteria that countries must meet to enjoy the benefits of AGOA, including criteria related to internationally recognized workers’...

The Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, Kwesi  Bekoe Amissah-Arthur, has restated  government’s commitment  to supporting the African Bureau of the United States of America’s Chamber of Commerce to expand Ghana’s trade with the US. The Vice President, who was speaking at the opening of the 4th Annual Africa American Chamber of Commerce Summit in Accra, yesterday, observed that in the Africa-US trade, the US side had many advantages, such as developed structures which guaranteed US investors, but no attention was...

Businesses in the country have not made the most of the enormous opportunities that the United States government’s African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) presents, Haruna Iddrisu, Trade and Industry Minister, has said. AGOA is the US government’s trade initiative with 39 sub-Saharan African countries. There are over 7,000 products that are available under the AGOA and Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) list to enter the United States duty-free. The programme has spurred the export of processed agricultural products,...