Arlington — A letter to the editor published on Aug. 12 under the headline "Diversity And Politics" includes several errors of fact regarding the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) that beg for correction.
The writer states that the original AGOA bill was signed into law in 2000 by President George W. Bush. In fact, as Bush was not yet president that year, the law was signed by President Bill Clinton. Reflecting AGOA's widespread bipartisan support, however, an extension to it was signed in 2005 by President Bush.
The letter also suggests that the renewal of AGOA due this year has been blocked because of the addition of Haiti into the system of trade preferences instituted by the Act. In fact, in legislation introduced by House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), AGOA was extended for an additional 10 years and included provisions regarding Haiti. There was little opposition to the legislation by members of Congress in either party. Any delays in approving the extension were due to protracted debates about the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) and Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) proposals. There was never any doubt that AGOA would be renewed before the current law expires in September.
The 14th annual AGOA Forum — with 1,600 to 2,000 participants including diplomats, heads of state and other government leaders, and business executives from the United States and across Africa — will take place in late August in Libreville, Gabon. The forum will celebrate AGOA's successes over the past 15 years and look forward to a
decade-long extension as trade and investment between Africa and the United States continue to grow.
Richard Sincere
Editor, Sub-Saharan Monitor (www.newworld.ac/subsaharan)