The African growth and opportunity act, exports, and development in Sub-Saharan Africa PDF Download

Author:
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 28

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Author: Paul Brenton
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 28

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Book Description
The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is the flagship of U.S. commercial and development policy with Sub-Saharan Africa. This paper looks at the impact of the trade preferences that are the central element of AGOA on African countries' exports to the U.S. and puts them in the perspective of the development of the region. The paper finds that, while stimulating export diversification in a few countries, AGOA has fallen short of the potential impetus that preferences could otherwise provide African exporters. The impact of AGOA would be enhanced if preferences were extended to all products. This means removing tariff barriers to a range of agricultural products and to textiles and a number of other manufactured goods. There also needs to be a fundamental change in approach to the rules of origin. Given the stage of development and economic size of Sub-Saharan Africa, nonrestrictive rules of origin are crucial. For all countries in Africa, those that have and those that have not benefited from preferences, there are enormous infrastructure weaknesses and often extremely poor policy environments that raise trade costs and push African producers further away from international markets. Effective trade preferences (those with nonrestrictive rules of origin) can provide a limited window of opportunity to exports while these key barriers to trade are addressed. But dealing with the barriers is the priority.

Author: Paul Brenton
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Africa, Sub-Saharan
Languages : en
Pages : 36

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Book Description
"The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is the flagship of U.S. commercial and development policy with Sub-Saharan Africa. This paper looks at the impact of the trade preferences that are the central element of AGOA on African countries' exports to the U.S. and puts them in the perspective of the development of the region. The paper finds that, while stimulating export diversification in a few countries, AGOA has fallen short of the potential impetus that preferences could otherwise provide African exporters. The impact of AGOA would be enhanced if preferences were extended to all products. This means removing tariff barriers to a range of agricultural products and to textiles and a number of other manufactured goods. There also needs to be a fundamental change in approach to the rules of origin. Given the stage of development and economic size of Sub-Saharan Africa, nonrestrictive rules of origin are crucial. For all countries in Africa, those that have and those that have not benefited from preferences, there are enormous infrastructure weaknesses and often extremely poor policy environments that raise trade costs and push African producers further away from international markets. Effective trade preferences (those with nonrestrictive rules of origin) can provide a limited window of opportunity to exports while these key barriers to trade are addressed. But dealing with the barriers is the priority. "--World Bank web site.

Author: United States. Congress. House. Committee on International Relations
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Africa, Sub-Saharan
Languages : en
Pages : 32

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Author: Thomas Melito
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781457866845
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 48

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Book Description
Enacted in 2000 and set to expire in September 2015, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is a trade preference program that seeks to promote economic development in 49 sub-Saharan African countries by allowing eligible countries to export qualifying goods to the U.S. without import duties. The act requires the U.S. government to conduct an annual eligibility review to assess each country's progress on economic, political, and development reform objectives in order to be eligible for AGOA benefits. AGOA also requires an annual forum to foster closer economic ties between the U.S. and sub-Saharan African countries. This report examines (1) how the AGOA eligibility review process has considered economic, political, and development reform objectives described in the act; and (2) how sub-Saharan African countries have fared in certain economic development outcomes since the enactment of AGOA. Tables and figures. This is a print on demand report.

Author: United States. Congress. House. Committee on International Relations
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Africa, Sub-Saharan
Languages : en
Pages : 30

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Author: Craig VanGrasstek
Publisher: United Nations Publications
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 86

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Also known as AGOA

Author: Howard Sarisohn
Publisher: Nova Science Publishers
ISBN: 9781629482996
Category : Africa, Sub-Saharan
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
In 2000, Congress passed the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a U.S. trade preference program, in order to help spur market-led economic growth and development in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and deepen U.S. trade and investment ties with the region. Since its enactment, Congress has amended AGOA five times, making some technical changes and renewing the trade preferences through September 30, 2015. According to the Assistant U.S. Trade Representative, (USTR) for Africa, "AGOA is the cornerstone of America's trade and investment policy with sub-Saharan Africa." Economic conditions in Africa, however, have changed considerably since Congress passed the initial AGOA legislation. Annual real gross domestic product (GDP) growth in SSA was nearly a full percentage point lower than global GDP growth (2.3% vs. 3.2%) in the decade leading up to AGOA's passage (1990-2000). Over the last ten years, however, SSA's growth averaged 5.7%, two points higher than the 3.7% world average. While the region still contains many of the world's poorest countries and faces significant economic challenges, some observers and policymakers argue that changing economic conditions warrant an evolution in U.S. policy toward SSA, focused more strongly on private sector investment and increasing two-way trade. In recent years, SSA's growing economic potential and abundant natural resources have attracted other foreign investors, including state- supported enterprises from countries such as China, which is now the region's largest trading partner. This book seeks to inform the discussion on the potential reauthorization of AGOA through analysis of: (1) the components of the AGOA legislation; (2) U.S. import trends associated with AGOA; (3) the impact of AGOA on African economies and U.S.-Africa trade; and (4) the issues surrounding the reauthorization process.

Author: Ian F. Fergusson
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 1437930638
Category : Africa, Sub-Saharan
Languages : en
Pages : 35

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Author: United States Government Accountability Office
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781981746415
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 48

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Book Description
AFRICAN GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY ACT: Eligibility Process and Economic Development in Sub-Saharan Africa