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[Source: interview with US Ambassador to Uganda, Deborah Malac] What is the role of the private sector?  We firmly believe that private sector growth is the key to sustainable economic growth. Governments should not be the sole driver of economic activity because no government will ever have enough money to do everything.  The private sector plays a crucial role in economic growth and it is important that it takes the lead in all areas of economic activity.    What was the role of US in recent oil and gas...

The African Growth and Opportunity Act is a U.S. trade act that provides duty-free import to goods produced in qualifying Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. AGOA came into force in 2000 and was most recently exten­ded to 2025 through the AGOA Extension & Enhancement Act (AEEA). Mozambi­que has been eligible for AGOA since 2000. One of the additions to AGOA through the AEEA is language in the legislation that states countries should produce “AGOA Utilization Strategies” to take advantage of the benefits. Accordingly, this...

The importance of economic diplomacy for Kenya is at its most crucial position in the face of retreating globalisation amid the rise of protectionism.  Protectionism agendas, perpetuated through right-wing ideologies, is gaining significant influence across the globe and developing nations need to be cautious of the implications to their own economies.  The interdependency in international business and the web of globalisation, means political decisions have a farther economic reach than ever before. The current America First...

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce launched today Mozambique’s AGOA Utilization Strategy.  Designed to increase trade and economic growth throughout Africa, the Strategy will help ensure Mozambican businesses are better positioned to use AGOA for duty free access to the U.S. market for more than 6,500 products. Although AGOA was enacted in the year 2000, only $1 million of the $100 million of Mozambican exports into the United States take advantage of AGOA’s duty free access.  For this reason, the U. S. Government,...

To stimulate non-oil export and diversify the economy, the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce and the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce are leading a campaign to further open up United Kingdom’s and United States’ markets to Nigerian non-oil exports. They are exploring opportunities in increased intra-Commonwealth trade and the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Experts say these can be the much-needed tonic to reposition the non-oil sector, fast-track industrialisation and create jobs.  Nigeria’s transition to a...

The United States Ambassador to The Gambia, C. Patricia Alsup on May 9 presided over an African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) workshop in Banjul, using the opportunity to reaffirm the United States Government’s commitment to restoring and expanding its trade links with The Gambia. The AGOA workshop was organized in partnership with the Gambia Investment Export and Promotion Agency (GIEPA), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).  The workshop symbolizes the genuine desire of the United States...

U.S. Agency for International Development’s Mission Director for West Africa, Alex Deprez has revealed that US-Africa trade relations has led to the creation of more than 60,000 jobs across the continent. Alex Deprez expressed US government’s commitment to assisting Africa in its development agenda through trade and investments. He continued that the interventions by the US government which are implemented by the agencies and partners across the continent especially USAID has yielded significant results. The USAID Head of Missions for...

Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen has appealed for an effective coordination between U.S. development agencies and organizations with regards to what they are willing to offer for the growth and implementation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). According to him, although AGOA seeks to expand trade investment between the U.S.A. and sub-Saharan Africa, U.S. organisations must come clear on their resources in supporting AGOA on the continent. Speaking at a capacity-building and skills development workshop in...

Heaps of clothes, scorching heat and choking dust, hawkers chanting prices, competing for the attention of shoppers, who haggle to get as many clothes at the lowest cost possible. In crowded markets and on sidewalks of African towns and cities, shoppers can turn up Tommy Hilfiger jeans or a Burberry jacket for a fraction of the price in London’s Regent Street or New York’s Fifth Avenue. It is a common scene across Africa, with Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Benin, Uganda and Kenya among the biggest markets for second hand...

Local businesses are failing to exploit the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), says the director for export development at Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC), Mr Obert Yuyi. Mr Yuyi said this during a national AGOA response strategy workshop in Francistown on April 24. He said with the recent closure of mines around Francistown, unemployment was on the rise and that it required the business community to take over and employ locals. "Taking advantage of AGOA means businesses expanding and exporting, triggering employment...

President Trump’s Africa policy appears to be off to a bad start. First, there was the unfortunate leak of a remark made privately to a group of U.S. senators in February in which the President referred to African nations as “shithole countries.” Secondly, former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s official goodwill visit to several African countries in March was spoiled by the fact that he had to cut his visit short by one day because he heard that the president was about to dismiss him. Nevertheless, there are clear signs that...