Launch of Working Group on Trade and Investment in Africa

US Africa Trade  |  11.02.11   By Motaroki

The First Quarterly meeting between American Private and Public Sector Stakeholders and the African Diplomatic Corps in Washington served as a springboard to launch the Working Group on Trade and Investment in Africa (WGTIA). The Africa Partnership for Economic Growth Caucus (APEGC) co-Chaired by The Honorable Bobby L. Rush, the Ranking Member of the Energy and Power House Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee and The Honorable Donald M. Payne, the Ranking Member of House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights, were hosts.

The Wilson Center’s Africa Program convened and organized the proceedings. Steve McDonald, Director of the Wilson Center’s Africa Program and Project on Leadership and Building State Capacity, chaired the meeting. Former Ambassador Rosa Whitaker, of the Whitaker Group and former Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa and co-Chair of the AGOA Action Coalition, served as moderator. Scene-setting remarks were delivered by APEGC’s co-Chairs, followed by an official statement by H.E. Sheila Siwela, Ambassador of Zambia to the United States, who chairs the AGOA Trade Committee. Karen Tandy, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, Motorola Solutions, gave a special private sector presentation.

The consultation was then opened up to all participants, including the following Members of Congress: The Honorable. Charlie Rangel (D-NY), The Honorable Melvin Watt (D-NC), The Hon. Hansen Clark (D-MI), The Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), The Honorable Russ Carnahan (D-MO), The Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX); M. David Ramseur,

The subsequent discussion revolved around a number of issues of import. Of significance were:

1. Commitment to strengthen and extend the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and 3rd Country Fabric remains a priority for this Congress;

2. Agreement that today’s meeting would serve as an ongoing forum for the promotion of ideas and the cultivation of relationships between Members of Congress, African Diplomatic Corps, and the private sector;

3. Promote Cote d’Ivoire’s eligibility to resume participation in AGOA and move that initiative forward post-haste;

4. Advance efforts to improve U.S. competitiveness with regard to China – through strengthening Export Import Bank (EIB) and other public initiatives to make it easier for U.S. companies – both large and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) – to obtain investment financing in Africa, specifically addressing outdated domestic content requirement rules to make U.S. regulations consistent with other industrialized countries;

5. Support “The Increasing American Jobs Through Greater Exports to Africa to Spur African Economic Growth” that Congressman Rush and Senator Dick Durbin are working on to increase exports to Africa via EIB financing and more favorable investment conditions for U.S. companies in Africa;

6. Provide Members of Congress who are champions of AGOA with the information and support necessary to make compelling cases of linkage to U.S. national interests that build a constituency for AGOA renewal and extension;

7. Private Sector representatives were unanimous in their call for a leveling of the playing field as far as American businesses are concerned, and equipping those businesses with the tools to access and to compete in African markets;

8. Tap the potential of the African Diaspora for partnership in promoting U.S. trade and investment within Africa.

The APEGC was created during the 111th Congress by Congressmen Rush and Payne to foster stronger commercial and economic ties between the U.S. private sector and Africa. The primary mission of APEGC is to promote bilateral private sector development that will increase export, investment and economic growth for large and small U.S. and African firms. It is dedicated to educating Members of Congress on issues affecting the commercial and economic relations between the U.S. and African countries. During a consultation between APEGC and African Embassies on July 22, 2011, a consensus was reached on the pertinence of an African Working Group on Trade and Investment to allow greater communication between Members of Congress, the Diplomatic Corps, civil society actors, and the private sector on issues related to U.S./African economic relations.

This inaugural meeting, co-Chaired by Congressmen Rush and Payne, had as its objective the exploration of how the APEGC’s goals could be met and to launch the WGTIA as a continuing forum for the sharing of information and the exchange of ideas on matters of cooperation, development, and growth. This was the first in a series of quarterly consultations with the Africa Diplomatic Corps.

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