Washington, DC — The Constituency for Africa (CFA) organized a meeting on Capitol Hill  to discuss ideas for increasing Diaspora participation in the next phase of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa). The hybrid 25-person delegation was led by CFA Chairperson Jeannine B. Scott and the President, Melvin Foote, who attended the meeting in person in the Longworth House Office Building.  Most of the others participated via Zoom.

The meeting was extremely substantive and highly focused!

The delegation met with Alexandra Whittaker, who is the Chief Trade Counsel and Trade Staff Director for the Ways and Means Committee of the House of Representatives.  She was joined by several members from her staff.

The African Growth and Opportunity Act is due to expire in 2025, after being in place for 25 years.  The stated purpose of the Agoa legislation is to assist the economies of Sub-Saharan Africa and to improve economic relations between the U.S. and Africa.  After completing its initial 15-year period of validity, the AGOA legislation was extended 10 years. It is unlikely that Agoa will be extended a third time, and thus the conversation today was about what can be done to strengthen U.S, trade with Africa going forward.

CFA

Virtual participants in the Capitol Hill meeting organized by the Constituency for Africa (CFA) to discuss ideas for increasing Diaspora participation in the next phase of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa).

The Constituency for Africa was at the forefront in the pushing for the legislation during the Clinton Administration in 2000!  CFA organized more than 30 Town Meetings on Africa in cities and towns across the United States, to educate Americans about the merits of the trade bill.  Joining CFA in these critically important meetings were African Ambassadors from a number of countries, and a range of top-tier trade experts.

A range of ideas were offered today by the CFA delegation, with the major theme being that the U.S. Congress "must" engage the African Diaspora (both African-Americans and immigrant-Americans), as it pursues a positive trading relationship with Africa.

CFA will continue to be engaged in the process in the coming months and years to put new legislation in place to follow-up on what has been achieved thus far through the African Growth and Opportunity Act.