US, Mauritius officials meet to further TIFA trade initiative
Trade between Mauritius and the United States was valued at $237 million in 2007, with U.S. imports of $188 million and U.S. exports of $50 million. The leading U.S. exports to Mauritius were wheat, diamonds, aircraft, and jewelry. U.S. imports from Mauritius are primarily apparel, diamonds, seafood, perfumes, and sugar. In 2007, U.S. imports from Mauritius under AGOA, including its GSP provisions, were valued at $120 million.
To further develop trade, officials from the U.S. and Mauritian met yesterday to discuss implementing the United States-Mauritius Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA).
The meeting identified opportunities for expanding trade and investment, and provided a forum for addressing challenges in the two countries' trade ties. The TIFA Council was set up to facilitate a dialogue and help to increase commercial and investment opportunities by identifying and working to remove impediments to trade and investment flows between the United States and Mauritius.
"The TIFA Council reviewed a common workplan that the United States and Mauritius are jointly undertaking to implement the TIFA, including a wide-range of programs and activities to support, facilitate, and ensure progress and success in strengthening the U.S.-Mauritian trade and investment relationship," said Florizelle Liser, assistant U.S. trade representative for Africa.
Representatives reviewed progress, identified challenges, and charted the way forward for future work under the TIFA. During the TIFA Council meeting, officials from the United States and Mauritius explored common objectives - including cooperation in the World Trade Organization, implementation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, trade capacity building and technical assistance, intellectual property protection, export diversification, trade promotion, and development - and examined opportunities for a more comprehensive trade and investment relationship.
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