Sub-Saharan African Trade and Economic Forum

(also known as the AGOA FORUM)

Purpose: The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) calls for a "Sub-Saharan African Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum" to be held between the Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Finance Ministers from the governments of the 35 AGOA eligible countries and the Secretaries of State, Commerce, Treasury, and the United States Trade Representative.

Date/Time/Location: To be Determined, 2001 - Washington, D.C. - Department of State

The United States Government has invited thirty-five sub-Saharan African countries to a Sub-Saharan African Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum in Washington, D.C. The establishment of the Forums is required under the bipartisan Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) legislation. The goals of the Forum are to:

Discuss ways to further implement AGOA,
Stimulate U.S.-Africa trade,

Encourage development of economic prosperity.

On May 16, 2001 President Bush announced the U.S.- sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Forum (required by the African Growth and Opportunity Act - AGOA) and directed the U.S. Secretaries of State, Treasury, and Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative to issue invitations to their ministerial counterparts in the 35 sub-Saharan African countries eligible to benefit from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Representatives of African regional organizations will also be invited. This government-to-government Forum is to serve as the vehicle for regular dialogue on economic, trade and investment issues between the United States and these eligible African countries. The Forum is expected to be an important step in changing trade relations between Africa and the United States for the long term, while seeking to help millions of Africans with the opportunity to benefit from the economic prosperity that enhanced trade and investment will bring.

For more information about
Sub-Saharan African Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum
(also known as the AGOA Forum),
please visit the following web sites links:

usinfo.state.gov
www.agoa.gov
www.ustr.gov
www.amasinc.org
www.commerce.gov

Business-to-Business Forum and Forum for NGO Groups:

There will also be two parallel Forums to the government-to-government Sub-Saharan Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum: a separate forum for the businesses and for NGO groups. Business and NGO representatives will convene in Washington to discuss their own perspectives on AGOA and African development.