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With less than five years to the end of the extended African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), the Nigerian American Chamber of Commerce (NACC) has reiterated its commitment to ensuring that Nigeria enjoys the benefit of the scheme. With the change of the United States political leadership, the Chamber is hopeful that ties between the two countries would improve, even as it urged the government to address environmental challenges limiting Nigeria’s export potential. According to the NACC President, Oluwatoyin Akomolafe, the Chamber is...

The United States Chamber of Commerce has urged President Joe Biden to seal a new trade deal with Kenya, which was initiated by his predecessor Donald Trump. The biggest and most influential US business lobby group wants the ongoing negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) between the two nations concluded fast to pave the way for uptake of business and investment opportunities. “The Chamber supports the negotiation of a high-standard free trade agreement with Kenya, which may serve as a model for future trade and investment...

The new chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee has pledged to put sub-Saharan Africa “on the front burner” of United States foreign policy, including through an expansion of diplomatic, humanitarian and commercial activities in the region. Congressman Gregory Meeks, who was elected as head of the influential committee in December, said on Monday that the US Foreign Service must be bolstered during President Joe Biden’s administration. Former President Donald Trump’s tenure in the White House saw a depletion of...

With only about a week left, the United States government says it is "disheartened" by Lesotho's failure to address its human trafficking concerns. This puts the country on the brink, with the real risk of losing billions of maloti in funding under the second compact and about 45 000 textiles jobs facing serious jeopardy. The US had given Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro's government a 1 February 2021 deadline to address an array of human trafficking concerns failing which Lesotho would lose out on a number of American aid and trade...

The direction that President Joe Biden will give to the U.S.-Africa relationship will be highly scrutinized as he brings America’s diplomacy back to the global stage. Democracy and the economy are the two fundamental areas of cooperation that he can use to rebuild ties. On U.S. efforts to advance democracy in Africa, two events over the past decade stand out. Speaking in Accra in 2009, President Barack Obama called “strong institutions” the foundation of democracy, as opposed to “strongmen” perpetuating presidencies for life. On...

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Vincent Biruta, has said that Rwanda is ready to strengthen ties with the administration of the new President of the United States, Joe Biden. Biden was sworn-in on January 20, becoming the 46th President of the US. "We are ready to continue working with the new administration in strengthening existing relations between our two countries including levelling up existing cooperation in areas of mutual interest," Biruta, who is also the Government's Spokesperson told The New...

Director General of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Dr. Muda Yusuf, told DEBO OLADIMEJI that he expects more support for Nigeria from the United States (US) under the Biden administration.  What are the economic implications of Joe Biden Presidency For Nigeria?There is likely to be some positive changes as far as bilateral economic and trade relations are concerned.  The US-Nigeria Bi-national Commission, which has been in place for about 10 years, is likely to gain some traction under Biden...

Kenya hopes to resume trade talks with the US after change of guard at the White House with President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on Wednesday.  The country is optimistic of speedy resumption of negotiations, with hopes the Biden administration will warm up to Africa, and Kenya as an investment destination and trade partner. The negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) which commenced on July 8, last year,  stalled due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the recent US elections. Talks later resumed with the first and second...

The United States government has announced the opening up of several new ports for the import for citrus products from South Africa, further facilitating two-way trade with South Africa. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service published a final notice in the U.S. Federal Register on November 5th [see document alongside] approving the use of additional ports options for South African citrus growers.   Previously, the South African citrus industry was limited to the use of only four...