MINISTER DAVIES TO BRIEF THE MEDIA ON THE ENVISAGED OUTCOMES OF THE US-AFRICA LEADER SUMMIT AND AGOA FORUM

MINISTER DAVIES TO BRIEF THE MEDIA ON THE ENVISAGED OUTCOMES OF THE US-AFRICA LEADER SUMMIT AND AGOA FORUM

 President Jacob Zuma will lead a South African delegation to the first United States-Africa Leaders' Summit that will take place in Washington on 4-6 August 2014. During his Official Visit to South Africa last year, President Barack Obama announced that the U.S. will host the first ever U.S.- Africa Leaders’ Summit (USALS)  in 2014.

Minister Rob Davies will also participate in the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) Ministerial Forum that will take place on the margins of the United States – Africa Leaders’ Summit. The AGOA Ministerial Forum takes place on a rotation basis between the US and the continent. Last year’s AGOA Forum took place in Ethiopia.  

Minister Davies will brief the media on South Africa’s participation in the United States-Africa Leaders’ Summit, the envisaged trade outcomes of the Summit, South Africa’s position on AGOA including the benefits, and trade and investment relations between South Africa and the US. This would take place on Monday, 27 July 2014 at GCIS Tshedimosetso House, 1035 Frances Baard Street (corner Festival Street) at Hatfield in Pretoria.

The Africa Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) is a non- reciprocal preferential scheme, which applies only to US imports from eligible Sub-Saharan Africa.  AGOA signed into law in 2000 and originally intended to run until 2008, however amendments in 2004 extended the deal until 2015.

African governments are strongly in favour of extending AGOA, while US President Barack Obama has offered his endorsement, saying that it represented good business for both Africa and America.

Minister Davies says AGOA is the cornerstone of bilateral relations between the United States and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), as it provides the sole platform between the US and SSA to discuss ways and means to deepen trade and investment relations.