Africa and American Trade Policy: An Update.  That was the topic for the Global Business Dialogue's first fall colloquium.  It was held at the National Press Club on September 10, and Florizelle (Florie) Liser was the first on-the-record speaker.  She had been asked to talk about the results of this summer's U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, and of course she did. 

AGOA - the African Growth and Opportunity Act - is the centerpiece of U.S. trade policy toward Africa, and renewing it - the act expires in September 2015 - was very much on the minds of the African leaders who met with President Obama in early August.  The "Statement by the Chair," the conference's concluding document, summed up the issue this way:

Understandably, Florie Liser talked a lot about AGOA.  

It was only very briefly that she touched on the fact that America's relationship with the countries of sub-Saharan Africa exists in a larger context and the idea that America needs to consider the implications of that broader context in charting its own relationships in Africa.  Those comments of hers came at the end of her opening remarks.  Here is a little more of what she said:

Every sub-Saharan country, of course, has an array of relationships around the globe, but there are three that seemed to be on everyone's mind last Wednesday.  These are the continent's relationships with the United States - the topic of the morning - those it has with the European Union, and those it has with China. 

Ms. Liser spoke directly and forcefully to the issues raised by Africa's trade with the European Union.  In response to a question about South Africa's restrictions on certain meat products from the United States, Ms. Liser began with a question of her own:

The question she was addressing was more about standards than preferences, but it was more than understandable that she should have begun her answer as she did.  The European Union is in the process of concluding a number of Economic Partnership Agreements with African countries and recently signed one with 7 of the 15 members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), namely, Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, and South Africa.  These are reciprocal agreements and have the effect of putting U.S. exporters at a relative disadvantage vis-à-vis their EU competitors.  Understandably, they are receiving a lot of critical attention from U.S. business and throughout the U.S. Government.  Ms. Liser was reflected that criticism.

Where China is concerned, however, the Administration's policy is not so critical.  Asked about China's engagement with China, Ms. Liser said simply, "We welcome Africa having as many partners and investors as they possibly can."
AGOA and a Memorandum.   While Ms. Liser was clear and unwavering in her insistence on the need for a prompt and long-term renewal of AGOA, she was also realistic about its limitations.  "No matter what the duties are," she said, "[duty-free access under AGOA] alone is really not going to promote greater U.S.-Africa trade."  Rather, she said, AGOA needs to be at the center of a broader, U.S. Government-wide effort on Africa.  

The blue-print for such an effort is the Presidential Memorandum that President Obama signed on August 4, the first day of the Leaders Summit.  In that memorandum, President Obama described the situation this way:

 Among other things, the memo establishes a steering group, specifically, the Steering Group on Africa Trade and Investment Capacity Building.  It is a group with 17 departments and agencies of the U.S. Government, including State, Treasury, Agriculture, USTR, and 13 others.

In the nature of write-ups like this, we have left out a lot.  We have left out the new financial commitments Ms. Liser referenced.  Some of those are mentioned in the documents listed below, and we will come back to others in future entries.  We will end this one with an observation, a hope, and a question.

First, the observation.  AGOA and the goal of promoting trade and investment with Africa are objectives with broad bipartisan and bicameral support.  That's remarkable.  It's remarkable not just because the U.S. Government is otherwise so deeply divided.  It is remarkable because in Africa the desire to have America's trading partners succeed is palpable where it is often undetectable in other regions.

The hope is simply that Congress will be able to renew AGOA either late in 2014 or very early in 2015.  It is a hope.  It is not a sure thing.  Much as Congress may want to aid Sub-Saharan Africa and to keep faith with U.S. investors there, the reality of the EU's partnership agreements is galling, and there doesn't seem to be an easy and obvious way of addressing it.

The question has to do with some things we haven't mentioned yet, namely the resolutions in support of the Leaders Summit that were passed in the House and Senate and, separately, with the Electrify Africa Act, which the House passed on May 8.  The House mentioned that legislation in their resolution.  Indeed, it got its own "Whereas" clause, as follows:

Interestingly, it was the Democrats in the House who voted overwhelming in favor of this legislation - 191 to 1.  The Republican caucus was split - 106 to 116.  With just that information, you would think the bill would sail through the Democratically controlled Senate.  And yet, so far; nothing.   Is there a story there?  We don't know.