bilaterals.org logo
bilaterals.org logo

AGOA

U.S. Official Craves Laws for Domestic/Foreign Entities
27-Mar-2008
The Assistant United States of America Trade Representative to Africa, Madam Florizelle Liser says Liberia needs law that will protect domestic and foreign businesses in the country.
Scramble on for African resources - experts
18-Aug-2007 AllAfrica.com
Both the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the fast-tracked Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) seem to reflect less a genuine desire in fairer trade for the true benefits of the African economies than securing access to relevant markets and mainly the exploitation of relevant natural resources in the interest of the European Union and the USA, said Executive Director of the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation, Dr Henning Melber.
US trade agreements with Sub-Saharan African countries
23-May-2007 USTR
The United States currently has no FTAs with countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The Bush Administration is pursuing alternative means of strengthening its trade and investment relationships with key African partners, including trade and investment framework agreements (TIFAs), bilateral investment treaties (BITs), and a proposed trade and investment cooperation agreement (TICA).
Textile jobs face threat
8-Apr-2007
Trouble. Government has failed to seal a textile tax-free export extension deal with the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) which now means over 6,000 jobs in the textile industry in the country face uncertain future, Economic Report can reveal.
Agoa extension ‘won’t help East Africa’
26-Dec-2006 East African
The recent approval of a five-year extension of permission to use foreign fabrics in Africa’s duty-free clothing exports to the US is seen by trade experts in Washington as helping to stabilise East Africa’s textile industries. But the action last week by the US Congress is unlikely to reverse the downward trend in Kenya and Uganda’s apparel sales to the American market.
Trade bill is a major concern for textiles
27-Sep-2006 Textile World
In a move that is strongly opposed by US textile manufacturers, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee has introduced legislation that will make major changes in the textile provisions of two trade agreements and also promote investments in African facilities by US companies.
Building on AGOA for African agricultural trade expansion
30-Aug-2006 AllAfrica.com
On the final day of the annual forum on the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) last month, the United States and Rwanda signed a bilateral agreement aimed at increasing trade flow between the two countries.
SADC Peoples Summit declaration
21-Aug-2006
We are particularly concerned that the EU’s plan for so-called Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA’s) with our countries is having the effect of splitting SADC into two groups and undermining the potential for our future co-ordinated regional programmes for mutual economic and social development.
South Africa: Opportunities abound as world woos Africa
10-Aug-2006
Washington recently played host to the annual African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) forum, an annual event mandated by the Agoa legislation which brings together stakeholders from Africa and the US.
US seeking new trade pacts with Africa
27-Jun-2006
After calling off negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with five Southern African countries last month, the US has indicated its intentions to negotiate new trade arrangements with several African countries including Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique and Ghana.
United States and Rwanda sign agreement to deepen trade and investment relations
13-Jun-2006
The United States and Rwanda today signed an agreement aimed at deepening and strengthening trade and investment ties between the two countries.
African nations wary of closer embrace with US
8-Jun-2006 IPS
A chorus of US officials is signaling that Washington wants to turn a controversial programme giving poor African nations partial access to US markets into a full-fledged free trade agreement that would open Africa’s economy to US corporations.
US invites African ministers to talks on market access
15-May-2006 Business Day
Washington has invited African trade and finance ministers for talks on the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) - the US partial free trade regime for imports from Africa.
International trade: Calling on African leaders
4-May-2006 AllAfrica.com
Why is there a sudden shift to regionalism as opposed to the much over-blown globalisation represented by multilateralism? Can Africa begin to understand that there is a dynamic and concerted effort at balkanising the continent into segmented disciplines?
No to free trade with US
1-Mar-2006 Mail & Guardian
Trade experts say the United States is demanding far deeper market access than South Africa is willing to give, particularly in the area of services that are covered by regulatory protection rather than tariffs.
US-SACU: New impetus behind a deal
31-Aug-2005 Business Day
Negotiations for a free trade agreement between the US and the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) stalled last year in an atmosphere of impasse rather than acrimony. But on the explicit instruction of President Thabo Mbeki, the talks are now on again and new, ambitious targets have been set for their completion, as well as a new plan for getting past the problems that plagued the last effort.
Trade, development, cooperation - what future for Africa?
18-Mar-2005
Bi- and multilateral trade relations between external actors and individual African states or regional blocs are becoming ever more decisive. The trade policies of both the USA and the EU are anything but helpful.
US-SACU trade talks grind to a halt
7-Oct-2004 AllAfrica.com
Free trade talks between the five members of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and the largest economy in the world have reached a dead end.
The Political Economy of Regional Trade Agreements in Africa
5-Jul-2004 The Political Economy of Regional Trade Agreements in Africa
Throughout history, international trade has generated considerable controversy. While conceding that some trade was imperative, Aristotle observed that trade was disruptive of community life. Until the 19th Century, most European powers viewed trade as a form of undeclared warfare. Their objective was - and still remains - the maximization of benefits accruing to themselves and minimization of those accruing to rival nations. The weapons of choice in this warfare were import barriers.