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    PURPOSE

    The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is the cornerstone of the Bush Administration's trade and investment policy toward sub-Saharan Africa, which includes promoting free markets, expanding U.S. - African trade and investment, stimulating economic growth, and facilitating sub-Saharan Africa's integration into the global economy.

    In 2001 the U.S. Government launched the Trade for African Development Enterprise (TRADE) Initiative to promote regional integration and regional cooperation of African countries through the expansion of export trade. A key objective of TRADE is promoting exports to the United States under AGOA. TRADE was superseded by the African Global Competitiveness Initiative (AGCI) announced by President Bush at the July 2005 AGOA Forum in Dakar, Senegal. The AGCI is a $200 million Presidential Initiative covering the 2006-2010 period.

    APPROACH

    The Southern African Global Competitiveness Hub is the one-stop shop in the region for business and national governments seeking to take advantage of AGOA. The Trade Hub provides targeted assistance in two areas:

    Firm-Level Assistance

    • Promote business linkages directly between the United States and Southern African firms.
    • Address business development constraints to exporting to the U.S. market under AGOA.
    • Educate private sector groups and associations about AGOA opportunities and benefits.
    • Provide specific guidance to Southern African companies interested in exporting to or doing business with the United States.
    • Advise exporters on food safety and customs requirements for exporting agricultural products to the United States.
    • Create valuable business networking opportunities through trade shows, trade missions, and conferences.

    AGOA National Assistance

    • Assist AGOA-eligible Southern African countries to develop action-oriented strategies to more systematically take advantage of AGOA opportunities and focus their efforts in areas of competitive advantage.
    • Identify barriers to trade that prohibit competitiveness and additional exports under AGOA.
    • Encourage AGOA-eligible Southern African countries to integrate trade facilitation concerns into the national economic agenda.
    • Encourage private sector participation in national export diversification strategies.
     
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