Speeches Shim
On February 18, 2020, the African Union Mission to the United States hosted a U.S.-Africa Trade conference at the Hyatt Regency in Baltimore, Maryland, in partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the African Diplomatic Corps, and the Maryland Governor’s Commission on African Affairs. The all-day conference, entitled “U.S.-Africa Trade: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. A Baltimore Port of Entry Case Study,” hosted more than 250 participants and featured panels with representatives from the African Union Commission, the State of Maryland, the African Diplomatic Corps, the U.S. and African private sectors, and six U.S. Government agencies that support U.S.-Africa trade: USAID, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Small Business Administration, the U.S. Trade Representative, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The second annual American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) Business Summit gathered more than 680 delegates, 230 companies, and high-level government and business representatives from nine countries across East Africa. The event featured 75 engaging speakers and panelists, including Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta’s delivery of the keynote address and opening remarks by Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa Connie Hamilton and U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Kyle McCarter.
Zambia is ranked number six out of 47 countries in doing business in Africa, particularly under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) program. Through this flagship preferential trade arrangement, opportunities have opened for African entrepreneurs, particularly women in agri-business and trade to access previously inaccessible markets like the United States. USAID's Southern Africa Trade and Investment Hub continues to support Zambian women to become more active participants in the country’s economy.
Zambians are avid fish eaters: individual intake averages 10 kilograms per year, and demand is rising alongside a growing population, intensifying urbanization and expanding incomes. To meet demand, Zambia imports over 50 percent of fish consumed, an amount estimated at about $367 million. The World Bank estimates that fish imports to Zambia have climbed 15-fold in the past decade, and Zambia's government has identified aquaculture as a high priority sector.
Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan delivered opening remarks at the United States-Sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum (AGOA Forum) at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on July 11, 2018. Enacted in 2002, AGOA aims to expand U.S. trade with sub-Saharan Africa, promote inclusive development and economic growth, foster a higher level dialogue in trade and investment related issues, encourage economic integration, and facilitate sub-Saharan Africa’s integration into the global economy.
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