The AGOA Renewal and Improvement Act of 2024 was introduced by Senators Chris Coons & James Risch on April 11, 2024.
Read More: Click Here to Read the Summary | Click Here to Read the Bill
THANK YOU TO THE SPEAKERS, MODERATORS, PANELISTS PARTICIPANTS AND ATTENDEES
AfrICANDO 2023, our 24th Annual US-Africa Trade & Investment Conference and Expo Was held on-site at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Miami Airport & Convention Center (MACC), 711 NW 72nd Avenue, Miami, Florida, USA, and virtually.
THEME: The Diaspora: Accelerating U.S.-Africa Trade, Investment, and Technological Innovation
The following topics were discussed: Trade and Investment ● Health ● Infrastructure ● Technology ● Tourism
PRESENTATIONS
Abdoulaye Dieye, CEO, Blaise Diagne InternationalAirport (AIBD)
Honorable Angela Ellard, Deputy Director-General, World Trade Organization
Daniel Cardona, Vice President, Florida Export Finance Corporation (FEFC)
Dimitrios “Jimmy” Nares, Section Chief, Aviation Marketing, Miami-Dade Aviation Department
Dave Peterson, Senior Director, Africa Program, National Endowment for Democracy
Thomas T. Osobu, Founder & Executive Chairman, Jott Industries Nigeria Limited
Miguel Olivares, Senior International Trade Specialist, U.S. Commercial Service
Dr. Gloria McCutcheon, Chair and Professor of Biology/Biotechnology, Claflin University
Nicholas Panasik, Associate Professor, Claflin University
Honorable Frederica S. Wilson, Congresswoman (D FL 24th District)
Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr., Founder and Past President Rainbow PUSH Coalition
THANK YOU TO SPEAKERS, MODERATORS, PANELISTS, PARTICIPANTS, & ATTENDEES FOR MAKING THE 8TH ANNUAL AGOA CSO NETWORK SPRING CONFERENCE A SUCCESS!
The 8th Annual AGOA CSO Network Spring Conference took place on April 13, 2023 at The Elliot School of International Affairs, George Washington University, University Student Center, 800 21st Street, NW, 3rd Floor in Washington, DC from 8:30 am – 3:30 pm and online.
The theme for this year’s Spring Conference was Extending AGOA to 2035: Using Trade toStrengthen U.S.-Africa Strategic Alliances.
The conference addressed the following topics:
Presentations
Fred Oladeinde, Chairman, the AGOA CSO Network and President, The Foundation for Democracy in Africa (FDA) – Opening Remarks
Rosa Whitaker, President and CEO , The Witaker Group – Remarks
Chanda Mongo, Chairman, AGOA CSO Extension Campaign -Session Report on Extending AGOA to 2035
ATDC promotes, and facilitates trade between Africa, the US, and the Americas. Located in the Miami Free Zone, a fully functioning trade hub to the Americas; ATDC provides technical assistance, and distribution support for export ready micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from AGOA eligible countries.
The AfrICA Trade Development Center (ATDC) is the first of its kind in the United States, and is located in the Miami Free Zone, an 850,000 square feet facility that serves as a fully functioning trade hub to the Americas.
ATDC is designed to create demand for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME’s) products in the Western Hemisphere by providing a presence for their products in the ATDC; marketing and promoting their products in the Americas; and providing logistical support and access to distribution networks in markets in:
● United States
● Latin America
● The Caribbean
● Canada
This December, the Africa Trade Development Center (ATDC), received its first shipment of products from Africa under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). These quality, hand crafted products are available on AfrICANDOMall.com, and are being shipped across the US and the Americas, directly from the ATDC in Miami, Florida, USA.
AfrICANDO MALL is your on-line shopping MALL experience, offering quality products and services from across Africa and the Americas!
The Can Do spirit of the producers and service providers selected for this site manifests itself in the authentic, unique, and high quality products offered on our portal. The people that create these products are doing extraordinary things to empower their communities, and expand cultural ties and trade with the United States, and other nations in the Americas.
We only carry brands from companies that are designed with your specific needs in mind, and dedicated to your satisfaction. ATDC stands behind the reputation and quality of each member STORE!
Using the Diaspora to accelerate trade and investment in Africa – WHADN
The Western Hemisphere African Dias-pora Network (WHADN) is an African Union (AU) initiative and was launched during the First African Union Western Hemisphere Diaspora Forum held in Washington, DC from December 17—19, 2002. This historical event was convened by AU and coordinated by The Foundation for Democracy in Africa.
MISSION: The mission of the WHADN is to en-courage and facilitate the utilization of the collective talents and resources of the African Diaspora in the Americas, the Caribbean and Latin America to support economic development and sustainable growth on the continent. To this end, WHADN was established to function as the coordinating net-work, linking the Diaspora and the AU for the purpose of achieving the common goals of social and economic growth throughout Africa.
ABOUT WHADN: WESTERN HEMISPHERE AFRICAN DIASPORA NETWORK
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DIASPORA INITIATIVE
THE DECISION ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DIASPORA INITIATIVE
THE REPORT – AFRICAN UNION TECHNICAL WORKSHOP ON THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE DIASPORA
DOWNLOAD THE WHADN BROCHURE BELOW:
Please join us for our 8th Annual AGOA CSO Network Spring Conference. The eventwill take place on April 13, 2023, in Washington, DC from 8:30 am – 3:30 pm and online.
The theme for this year’s Spring Conference is Extending AGOA to 2035: Using Trade toStrengthen U.S.-Africa Strategic Alliances.
The conference will address the following topics:
AfrICANDO brings together African and US business men and women, educators, government policymakers and administrators, trade and investment experts, bankers and representatives from international organizations to address cutting edge issues and challenges to US–Africa trade development, particularly, expansion of markets for African products in the international marketplace, especially in the Americas.
AfrICANDO is designed to assist civil society organizations (CSOs), micro, small, and medium-sized businesses (MSMEs), and the African Diaspora in creating linkages with US businesses and other stakeholders by:
The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) was signed into law in 2000 and has been the foundation of U.S. economic policy and business-related engagement with the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) since its enactment. AGOA provides eligible sub-Saharan African countries with duty-free access to the U.S. market for over 1,800 products, in addition to the more than 5,000 products that are eligible for duty-free entry under the Generalized System of Preferences(GSP) program.
In 2002, 2004, and 2006, Congress passed, and the executive branch implemented legislative enhancements of AGOA. And in 2015, Congress passed the Trade Preferences Extension Act (TPEA), updating and extending the program to 2025.
COVID-19’s economic impact presents a threat to US-Africa trade and investment, U.S. – Africa strategic alliances, and gains made over the last two decades using the benefits of AGOA.
AGOA has been a long-term commitment with broad bipartisan support; however, it expires in 2025. As a result, we launched the advocacy campaign for the 10-year extension of AGOA during our Roundtable Discussion on the Future of AGOA on December 13, 2022, in Washington, DC, USA, and virtually on the margins of the U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit. The campaign advocating for a ten-year extension of AGOA benefits aligns with African Union’s Agenda 2063.
We appreciate your interest in AGOA! We invite you to join our petition to the 118th Congress of the United States and the Biden-Harris Administration for the extension of AGOA by signing our request to extend AGOA to 2035.
The AGOA Civil Society Network is a consortium of non-governmental organizations, (NGOs) and other groups in the United States and Africa working to facilitate the successful application of the AGOA trade bill for the benefit of small business in the US, and Africa.
The Network was established by the 102 member organizations from the United States, Mauritius, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Namibia, Mali, Lesotho and the Democratic Republic of Congo that were in attendance during the AGOA Civil Society Forum on January 17, 2003, in Phoenix, Mauritius.
The AGOA CSO Network’s focus is on increasing the volume and quality of African exports under AGOA and educating stakeholders on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean on this trade policy and its advantages.
Become part of the solution by joining, today! click here!!!
