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A Committee of weavers and spinners of the textile industry is to be set up to map out strategies on how to effectively export to the U.S. market, following the recent granting of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Textile Visa to Nigeria.Special Adviser to the President on AGOA, Mrs Modupe Sasore, who disclosed this in an interactive forum with textile manufacturers in Lagos, said that Nigeria has crossed the hurdle that had hitherto prevented textile manufacturers from engaging in the apparel trade under AGOA. According to her,...

A Committee of weavers and spinners of the textile industry is to be set up to map out strategies on how to effectively export to the U.S. market, following the recent granting of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Textile Visa to Nigeria.Special Adviser to the President on AGOA, Mrs Modupe Sasore, who disclosed this in an interactive forum with textile manufacturers in Lagos, said that Nigeria has crossed the hurdle that had hitherto prevented textile manufacturers from engaging in the apparel trade under AGOA.According to her,...

Zambian Women In Agriculture (ZWA) chairperson Cecilia Makota has called for education for women if they are to benefit from the recently extended African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) announced by American President George Bush.Mrs Makota said many women still did not understand the initiative as most of them were contented to be local producers. "You see, many women do not even know that they are poor. Therefore there is need to carry out education so that they could utilise opportunities such as the AGOA," Mrs Makota saidShe said...

Piles of brand new, trendy jeans were razed in Mombasa on Friday and yesterday, eight months after they were impounded at the Port.The goods, worth Sh 960 million, were destroyed at the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) destruction site under tight security.The goods, mainly finished clothes, were illegally imported by an EPZ company under Agoa privilege. They were seized at the Mombasa port in January this year in 16 containers.The imports were made by M/s Lihua Export Processing Zone (EPZ), whose licence was immediately suspended in March by the...

The good news for Kenya and other African countries from President George Bush is that the US has agreed to extend its concessionary trade terms for apparel manufacturers for another seven years.Initially, the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which came into effect four years, was to end in 2008. But now it will extend to 2015. Agoa allows African states to sell textile products duty-free to the US.Until its enactment, accessing the American market, arguably one of the most expansive of the world's retail outlets, was impossible. What of...

United States government has signed into law an extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) to 2015, according to the Public Affairs Section of the US Consulate in Lagos.Under the Act Nigeria manufacturers can export textiles and apparels to the US duty free.Praising the Act which came into force at the inception of his administration four years ago, President George Bush described the US initiative as a "landmark legislation that has been beneficial to the people of the continent of Africa and to the people of the United...

U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Dick Lugar joined President Bush today at the White House signing ceremony of third installment of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA III)."In this closely divided and often fractious Senate, the bipartisan passage of trade legislation without amendment was an improbable outcome. The AGOA effort demonstrated that good ideas can succeed, even in the most difficult circumstances," Lugar said.On July 12, the Senate passed the House version of the bill, H. R. 4103. AGOA III extends the...

Speaking to a group of African dignitaries, senior U.S. administration officials and congressional lawmakers before signing the legislation at the White House, the president said that AGOA has "given American businesses greater confidence to invest in Africa, and encouraged African nations to reform their economies and governments to take advantage of the opportunities that AGOA provides." AGOA, originally enacted in May 2000, gives preferential trade access to African nations that work to open their economies and build free markets. The...

Praising the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) as a law that "has been beneficial to the people of the continent of Africa and to the people of the United States of America," President Bush signed legislation July 13 that reauthorizes AGOA until 2015 and extends the expiration dates for a number of its key provisions."Like all good partnerships, AGOA has been beneficial to all parties. Free trade between the United States and sub-Saharan Africa has created jobs, wealth, and opportunity on both continents," said Bush, who was flanked...

Florizelle Liser has spent twenty years developing and implementing policy at the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). She currently serves as assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa, leading U.S. negotiations on the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) and the proposed Free Trade Agreement with the five-nation Southern African Customs Union (Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland). In the 1970s, Liser was a founding member of TransAfrica Forum. She spoke to AllAfrica's Margaret McElligott...

Efforts are being made by several organisations to improve bilateral trade on other products.A Commercial Specialist in the American Embassy says Cameroon coffee has since 2000 not found a place in the American market. Jean Paul Yana made the declaration at a press conference organised by the American Embassy, in collaboration with officials of the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA), the Chambers of Commerce and the American Business Association (ABA). The press conference which took place at the Press Relations Office in Yaounde...

The US Senate's move allowing African countries to continue exporting garments to the United States duty free until 2015 has given a new lease of life to Southern Africa's textile industry, a senior official told IRIN on Thursday.Last week the Senate extended the provisions of the Africa Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) from 2008 to 2015 by endorsing the AGOA Acceleration Act of 2004, also known as AGOA III. AGOA III makes provision for African countries to continue importing "third party" raw materials for a further three years. Most...

After intense lobbying from various stakeholder groups, AGOA III has finally been passed by both the US House of Representatives and the Senate. US President George Bush, who had on various occasions expressed his desire to extend the trade preferences offered to Africa, subsequently wrote the latest amendments into law on 13 July 2004. Despite wide bi-partisan support among US lawmakers, it took almost a year for these amendments to be passed. Earlier versions of the proposed AGOA III legislation, including H.R. 3572 and S. 1900, were...

We are very pleased, indeed relieved, with the unanimous Senate passage of the legislation extending AGOA - namely, the third country fabric provision which expires on September 30, 2004; and the overall benefits which expire in 2008: A number of other benefits and incentives are also included in the bill.It would be recalled the House was the pacesetter in this exercise, having approved an extension by voice voted on June 14, 2004, through overwhelming bipartisan support. Spurred by this dramatic move Senators Grassley and Baucus,...

SA's exports to the US rose 30% in value during April compared with the same month last year, with the trade balance between the two countries continuing to grow into a healthy surplus in SA's favour."The trade balance for April this year at $245m was 80% higher than April last year, in SA's favour," said the South African Chamber of Business (Sacob) in its monthly report on SA-US trade released at the weekend. The chamber attributed the strong rise in April exports to about $478000 to continued growth in exports of precious metals and...

The US Senate has voted to extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act to 2015, giving a new lease of life to Kenya's garment exporters.Trade and Industry minister Mukhisa Kituyi yesterday announced that the Bill only awaited the signing into law by President George W. Bush who, he said, was expected to do so by next week. "Agoa's extension will boost investors' confidence in Kenya, especially in the Export Processing Zones, and will allow the country to build capacity in the cotton and textile industry," he added.Agoa became law in 2000...

Statement of Robert B. Zoellick, U.S. Trade Representative, regarding the Congressional passage of legislation extending the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) late Thursday. "Late last night, the Senate unanimously approved legislation extending the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) -- an important trade preference program designed to help sub-Saharan Africa develop and grow economically. "The House of Representatives passed identical legislation earlier this month."The AGOA Acceleration Act of 2004 fulfills President Bush's...

.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Dick Lugar applauded unanimous Senate passage of the third installment of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA III)."The AGOA laws have strengthened trade ties between the United States and African nations," Lugar said. "The experience of AGOA has taught us valuable lessons about the path to enhanced investment and economic development. Passage of AGOA III enables us to build upon the initial success begun under the original AGOA legislation." In an effort to encourage timely passage,...

The Leon H. Sullivan Foundation congratulates the U.S. Congress for approving the latest African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) legislation. The Senate passed the bill by voice vote last night, and the House of Representatives passed the bill, also by voice vote, last week. President George W. Bush is expected to sign the new AGOA into law after the July 4th holiday."This legislation indicates the extraordinary attention now being placed on U.S.-Africa by the American government and the American people," said Hope Sullivan, President and...

Statement by Robert B. Zoellick US Trade Representative June 25, 2004, regarding the Congressional passage of legislation extending the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) late Thursday.Late last night, the Senate unanimously approved legislation extending the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) -- an important trade preference program designed to help sub-Saharan Africa develop and grow economically.The House of Representatives passed identical legislation earlier this month.The AGOA Acceleration Act of 2004 fulfills President...

Since the election at the end of 2002 of Mwai Kibaki as president of Kenya, replacing Daniel Arap Moi, the new government has embarked on an ambitious program of reform that has helped spark an economic revival. A key player on Kibaki's economic team is Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi, the minister of Trade and Industry. On route home from last week's United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Kituyi stopped in Washington to meet with Bush administration officials and lobby members of Congress for an extension of the African Growth and...

US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick urged Senate Democrats on Thursday not to play «political games» with a bill to extend textile and other trade benefits for sub-Saharan African countries until 2015.The House of Representatives passed the legislation earlier this week on voice vote in a sign of broad support for the African Growth and Opportunity Acceleration Act.A bipartisan group of senators - including Republican leader Bill Frist of Tennessee and Democratic leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota - swiftly introduced the same...

The US Assistant Trade Representative for Africa, Florizele B. Liser, said last week that African countries supplying products to the US market through AGOA would benefit more by focusing on finished items.Speaking at a press conference held last Friday at Sheraton Addis, Liser said that countries would take better advantage by supplying value added products other than unfinished commodities. "It is better to send pineapple juice than pineapple," she addedLiser said that there is a consensus in the US today to extened the duration ofAGOA for...

Although the United States congress has voted for the extension of Africa Growth and Opportunity (AGOA 3) to 2015, the Bill still has to go through senate who may veto it.Speaking in an interview, spokesman for the Southern African Global Competitiveness Hub in Gaborone, Erran Prisely said that though the vote is big news, the party is not yet over as the bill has to pass through the senate who may reject it. "It is big news and the bipartisan support is a good sign," Prisely said on Wednesday.On Monday the house voted to extend a trade...

South Africa's continued exclusion from key " third-country" provisions in the US African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) is hampering the local clothing industry's exports to the US, and poses a threat to job creation.The warning on jobs came from Export Council for the Clothing Industry chairman Jack Kipling. South African trade negotiators are now being urged to ensure local manufacturers are given the same benefits enjoyed by their peers in Southern African Customs Union states.The third-country provision allows clothing exporters in...

Issued by the Executive Office of The President, Office of Management And Budget.The Administration strongly supports House passage of H.R. 4103, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Acceleration Act of 2004, which would extend and enhance AGOA enacted in 2000. AGOA is the centerpiece of the Administration's trade and investment policy to enhance U.S.-African trade, spur regional economic development, encourage economic and political reforms, alleviate poverty in sub-Saharan African countries, facilitate the region's integration...

Today, the House unanimously passed legislation [H.R. 4103] to extend and modify the trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), landmark trade legislation first passed in 2000 to develop a trade relationship between the United States and the nations of Sub-Saharan Africa. As Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa and an original co-sponsor of the legislation, U.S. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA-40) applauded its passage and called on the Senate to take immediate action on the legislation."In a short few years, AGOA has...

US trade representative says there will be no immediate extension to the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) facility until Congress approves.According to the Africa Economy Magazine, US assistant trade representative Florizelle Liser told African trade ministers during a consultative meeting in Mombasa, Kenya recently that the extension to the AGOA facility was dependent on a favourable response from the American Congress.She said a bill on the AGOA extension would have to be tabled before Congress.Ms Liser said "The American legislators...

A Cameroonian Business Delegation leaves the country today to join their counterparts from Ghana, Benin, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal for a two-week trade mission and training programme in Washington DC from June 12 to 20, 2004.The Trade Mission has been organised by the Graduate School of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in partnership with the AGOA Training Center-Africa (ATCA) and the technical support of the Cameroonian Ministry of Industrial and Commercial Development.The Training Programme is taking place within the...

Zambian president Patrick Levy Mwanawasa has invited the Apparels Tri-Star managers to set up a similar plant in Zambia.Mwanawasa, who was accompanied by his wife and his economic adviser, Dr. Moses Banda, was yesterday guided around the Bugolobi plant by Tri-Star managing director Vellipillai Kananathan. Uganda's presidential adviser on the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), Susan Muhwezi, was there."I am very delighted with what I have seen in Uganda, especially the factory. I do invite you to come and set up the same facility in...

Congressional passage of the latest version of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), called AGOA III, is critical to maintain the forward momentum of business-led growth in Africa, a continent that could be left behind by increased trade competition if not given the economic kick-start the bill offers, says former Assistant U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) for Africa Rosa Whitaker.Whitaker, who has often been called "Ms. AGOA" because of her tireless efforts in creating and passing the original bill in 2000 when she was a government...

Uganda could take advantage of the niche market for organic products that exists in the United States of America. The African Growth Opportunity Act (Agoa) consultant, Ms Rosa Whitaker, said last week that the market would benefit Uganda significantly because of higher average prices for organic commodities."Although, the organic industry in Uganda is in a nascent stage, Uganda is Africa's primary organic producer, with more than 100,000 hectares of certified farmland, productive coffee, cotton, pineapples, bananas, sesame, dried fruits, and...

"AGOA is in shambles" commented an African diplomat following a recent rally in the Senate that featured the rock star Bono and bevy of influential legislators. What should have been have been a shot in the arm for the passage of pending AGOA legislation instead revealed the degree to which this effort is in peril.The key aspect of the legislation is the extension of the provision that enables the less developed AGOA-eligible African countries to export to the U.S., duty and quota free, apparel containing fabric from non-AGOA countries. This...

The government has called on the United States government to relax rules on the importation of cotton and coffee and other products for Zambia's participation in the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) to be meaningful.Speaking in Lusaka recently, Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Dipak Patel said relaxing the rules on coffee, cotton and other agricultural products would broaden Zambia's trade participation."There are a lot of rules on agricultural products, especially phytosanitary rules. The US government should consider relaxing...

(Analysis) Mauritius has failed to benefit from AGOA in sectors other than the textile and clothing industries, according to recently released trade data by the United States International Trade Commission. This data indicates that despite AGOA’s ostensibly broad product coverage, the country’s exports are still largely concentrated in the garment industry which in 2003 accounted for 90% of exports to the US. (For a disaggregated trade profile, click here). Over the first three months of 2004, this proportion crept up further to 91% of...

Ugandan producers are poised to benefit from a multi-billion dollar organic foods market in the United States following the launch of 'Uganda: The garden of Africa,' a new initiative marketing Uganda's organic products there.Emmy Olaki reports that although Uganda's organic industry is still in the nascent stage, Rosa Whitaker, a former trade assistant in the US government recently said Uganda is Africa's primary organic producer, with more than 100,000 hectares of certified farmland producing cotton, coffee, sesame seeds, dried fruit,...

So Rosa Whitaker has been at Munyonyo, where African finance ministers have been spending a lot of taxpayers' money on the pretext of looking for solutions to Africa's trade-related economic problems.Ugandans should have a special interest in Ms Rosa Whitaker; not only because she was the assistant United States trade representative to Africa when AGOA sounded like a sub-county in heaven, but also because through her company, the Whitaker Group, she was later to be employed by the Uganda government as the country's AGOA consultant, some kind...

The African Growth and Opportunities Act (Agoa) and black economic empowerment (BEE) share many common goals, the US Embassy’s economic officer, Alan Tousignant, said at the Metropolitan BEE Conference and Expo last week.Following the establishment of Agoa in 2000, discussions are currently under way, in Washington, to finalise Agoa III.Tousignant pointed out that the first part of the Act, the ‘Trade Policy for Sub-Saharan Africa’, describes the findings of Congress, and a statement of policy by Congress. These sections deal with...

Visiting US senator, Mary Landrieu has said Americans want authentic African products."People in the US want products from countries like Uganda. But they have to be of very good quality," she said.Landrieu, who represents Louisiana, made the remarks yesterday at the Phenix Logistics Uganda Limited factory at Kibira Road in Kampala. US ambassador Jimmy Kolker accompanied her.She said on return to USA, she would lobby the senate to have the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) extended for a longer period.Uganda exports various materials...

UGANDA's exports to the United States have more than doubled in the last year, rising to $35m in 2003, up from $15.2m in 2002, an American consultant has said.Exports in 2001 to the US were $17.8m, Rosa Whitaker, president of the Whitaker Group, and a former assistant US trade representative for Africa said.The increase, which represents a 129% rise, she said, was because of the opportunities provided by the duty and quota-free African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) which started in 2000."Uganda started late on AGOA, but we are pleased...

The much-hyped recovery of the manufacturing sector remained muted during the year, with output expanding by a mere 1.4 per cent, against 1.2 previously.And just some 11,990 workers are estimated to have landed jobs on the country's factory floors, pushing the total number employed by manufacturers to 241,754 persons. Even then, there were some bright spots like the Export Processing Zones (EPZs) which - helped by a near-captive US market under the Agoa (African Growth and Opportunity) privileges - welcomed Sh15.7 billion in new investment...

The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Consultant Ms Rosa Whitaker has said the proposed budget cut on AGOA initiative by the committee on budget will deal a blow to the economy.The committee on budget has recommended that the AGOA budget be cut. Whitaker who was responding to questions during a press conference, which she addressed yesterday at AGOA offices in Kampala, said cutting the budget would create more unemployment for the next generation."I respect the MPs decision and the sovereignty of this country. But cutting the budget...

Amid concern that key provisions of the African Growth and Opportunity Act will expire later this year unless Congress votes an extension, supporters have issued a plea for public pressure on Congress.U.S. government estimates suggest that hundreds of thousands of current and prospective jobs in some of Africa's poorest countries are at stake. Advocates of the extension say the next few days are critical to extending the legislation in time to prevent erosion of major gains it has fostered.The legislation, popularly known as AGOA, which has...

In a remark at an Ethio-American Business Community Forum luncheon held the previous Thursday at the Hilton, Ambassador Aurelia E. Brazeal, said that she hoped to see Ethiopian entrepreneurs and the public at large significantly increase their share of the benefits from AGOA in the next couple of years. Under the AGOA textile and apparel visa arrangements, Ambassador Brazeal said, beneficiary countries can export handloomed, hand-made and folklore articles to the US but the eligible products must be determined through bilateral consultations...

Lesotho tops the African list of clothing exporters to the United States of America, US government statistics released in Maseru show. The US Embassy in Maseru released the statistics, showing that Lesotho is a major beneficiary of the US's Africa Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA). It ranks among the largest exporters in Africa to the United States, and is Africa's eighth largest exporter to the United States. "Total exports from Lesotho to the United States grew from US322-million in 2002 to over US393-million in 2003, a 22 percent...

African economies could face serious problems if the passage of the proposed enhancement of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, or Agoa III, was delayed beyond September 30.US assistant trade representative for Africa Florizelle Liser told a House subcommittee last week the extension was needed to preserve emerging African economies. According to the Bureau of International Information Programmes of the US Department of State, chairman Ed Royce asked the subcommittee what would happen if the provision in the last Agoa bill were allowed...

Foreign buyers of local textiles under the African Growth Opportunities Act (AGOA) want the US Congress to pass the AGOA3 Bill faster."Every buyer in the US is holding back because we do not know what will happen after 2007. There is uncertainty about whether the Bill is going to be signed or not," Jack Budhrani, Apparel Tri-Star garment buyer said on Wednesday.The AGOA3 clause allows sourcing of raw materials like fabrics from third party countries for manufacturing of garments in countries benefiting from the US quota and tariff-free...

Special presidential assistant on AGOA, Susan Muhwezi is keeping her fingers crossed that the US Congress passes the AGOA III Bill which seeks to extend the overall programme from 2008 to 2015.The Bill also seeks to extend third country fabric provision for three years, from September 2004 to 2007, including a phase down of benefits in year three. The Congress is expected to approve the Bill within one to two weeks time.Under the current law, least-developed AGOA beneficiary countries can use third country fabric in qualifying apparel until...

The United States of America is in the process of extending the eligible exports products from 2008 to 2015 through the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA).COMESA head of AGOA Moses Simemba said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that the bill had already been brought to congress and the hearing would be done soonHe said that the extension would address structural laws of non- eligible products such as hand made fabrics and yarn, as at the moment only machine made fabrics were AGOA eligible.He said the new agreement would make it possible...

The advisory board set up in 2002 to deal with bottlenecks in the container supply chain has notched up some major successes, co-chairperson Captain Dave Rennie said on Tuesday. When the board, drawn from government departments, parastatals and the private sector, was formed, the Durban terminal had been operating at an average 12 moves an hour, a figure which was now closer to 20. This would "ramp up" even more with the installation of planned new cranes, he told a media briefing in Cape Town. He warned however that government had to...