House Passes AGOA Enhancement Bill
The House on Sept. 7 unanimously passed a bill (here) that would require the president to establish an African Growth and Opportunity Act website including information and technical assistance provided at U.S. Agency for International Development regional trade hubs and links to websites for U.S. embassies in AGOA-eligible sub-Saharan African countries. Specifically, the AGOA Enhancement Act of 2015 says the president should update the AGOA website after each meeting of the U.S.-Sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum to advise on any country or private-sector commitments, as well as the extent to which public and/or private entities made progress in meeting prior commitments. The bill also directs the President to implement policies to drive transboundary trade for AGOA beneficiaries, to develop policies to provide training for businesses and government officials on accessing benefits of AGOA and other trade preference programs, and to provide trade capacity-building training to foster diversification of African products, among other things.
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The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s, R-Ky., office didn’t comment. "With the passage of the AGOA Enhancement Act, we are removing needless red-tape to improve trade relationships between Africa and the United States," said House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, R-Calif., who introduced the bill. "Stronger U.S.-African private sector engagement is good for the African people, especially women, and it is good for American builders and producers.” House Foreign Affairs Ranking Member Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., as well as Reps. Christopher Smith, R-N.J., and Karen Bass, D-Calif., co-sponsored the bill.