USTR Seeks Comments for Annual Review of Country Eligibility for AGOA Benefits
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) is announcing that the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Implementation Subcommittee of the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) is requesting written public comments by noon on October 20,2008 for the annual review of the eligibility of sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries to receive the benefits of the AGOA.
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(AGOA beneficiary SSA countries receive both standard duty-free benefits under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program and AGOA-GSP duty-free benefits for additional products.
Furthermore, certain AGOA beneficiary SSA countries receive AGOA textile benefits if the USTR has determined that such countries are establishing or have established certain procedures regarding the prevention of illegal textile and apparel transshipments.
USTR to Consider Comments When Developing Recommendations to President
According to the USTR, the President is required to monitor, review, and report to Congress annually on the progress of each SSA country in meeting the AGOA eligibility criteria.
The USTR states that the AGOA Implementation Subcommittee will consider any comments received in developing recommendations on country eligibility for the President. In addition, comments received related to the AGOA child labor criteria may also be considered by the Secretary of Labor in making the findings required under section 412(c) of the Trade and Development Act of 2000.
41 AGOA Beneficiary SSA Countries (7 SSA Countries Not Designated)
The USTR notice lists the following 41 countries as having been designated beneficiary SSA countries under the AGOA in 2008:
| Angola | Djibouti | Malawi |
| Benin | Ethiopia | Mali |
| Botswana | Gabonese Republic | Mauritius |
| Burkina Faso | Gambia | Mauritania |
| Burundi | Ghana | Mozambique |
| Cameroon | Guinea | Namibia |
| Cape Verde | Guinea-Bissau | Niger |
| Chad | Kenya | Nigeria |
| Comoros | Lesotho | Rwanda |
| Congo | Liberia | So Tom & Principe |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | Madagascar | Senegal |
In addition, the USTR's notice lists the following 7 countries as not having been designated as beneficiary SSA countries under the AGOA in 2008:
| Central African Republic | Equatorial Guinea | Somalia |
| Cote d'Ivoire | Eritrea | Sudan |
- public comments are due by noon on October 20, 2008
| Gloria Blue | (procedural questions) | (202) 395-3475 |
| Constance Hamilton | (all other questions) | (202) 395-9514 |
USTR notice (FR Pub 09/22/08) available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-22044.pdf
BP Note
The following 27 AGOA beneficiary have also been determined to be eligible for the AGOA textile benefits: Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 05/26/08 news, 08052710, for BP summary that Gambia is eligible for AGOA textile benefits.)