U$4.4bn in non-oil exports to US from Africa, ‘but more can be achieved’

The volume of non-oil exports from 39 Africa countries to the United States (US) under the African Growth and Opportunities Act (Agoa) currently stands at US$4.4 billion, but there is still lots of room for growth.

Speaking ahead of the three-day 2015 Agoa Forum – which kicked off in Libreville, Gabon, on Monday – US assistant trade representative for African Affairs, Florizelle Liser, said that although trade volume was on the increase, there was still much work to be done to take full advantage of the Agoa programme.

Liser said: “The Agoa forum also provides an opportunity for top trade officials from both Africa and the United States to discuss how best to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the extension of the programme.”

South African ambassador to the US, Mninwa Mahlangu, is also in Libreville to participate in the 14th Agoa Forum, said the department of trade and industry (dti) on Monday.

Mahlangu said he was confident that South Africa would continue to benefit from Agoa for the next 10 years.

The forum is an annual event held on a rotating basis between the United States and sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries with the last forum having been hosted by the US in Washington in 2014.