I 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4103 
To extend and modify the trade benefits under the African Growth and 
Opportunity Act. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 1, 2004 
Mr. THOMAS (for himself, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. CRANE, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. 
ROYCE, Mr. HOUGHTON, Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts, Ms. DUNN, Mr. 
JEFFERSON, Mr. WELLER, Mr. BRADY of Texas, and Mr. PAYNE) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways 
and Means 
A BILL 
To extend and modify the trade benefits under the African 
Growth and Opportunity Act. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘AGOA Acceleration 
Act of 2004’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds the following: 
(1) The African Growth and Opportunity Act 
(in this section and section 3 referred to as ‘‘the
Act’’) has helped to spur economic growth and bol-
ster economic reforms in the countries of sub-Saha-
ran Africa and has fostered stronger economic ties 
between the countries of sub-Saharan Africa and the 
United States; as a result, exports from the United 
States to sub-Saharan Africa reached record levels 
after the enactment of the Act, while exports from 
sub-Saharan Africa to the United States have in-
creased considerably. 
(2) The Act’s eligibility requirements have rein-
forced democratic values and the rule of law, and 
have strengthened adherence to internationally rec-
ognized worker rights in eligible sub-Saharan Afri-
can countries. 
(3) The Act has helped to bring about substan-
tial increases in foreign investment in sub-Saharan 
Africa, especially in the textile and apparel sectors, 
where tens of thousands of new jobs have been cre-
ated. 
(4) As a result of the Agreement on Textiles 
and Apparel of the World Trade Organization, under 
which quotas maintained by WTO member countries 
on textile and apparel products end on January 1, 
2005, sub-Saharan Africa’s textile and apparel in-
dustry will be severely challenged by countries whose
industries are more developed and have greater ca-
pacity, economies of scale, and better infrastructure. 
(5) The underdeveloped physical and financial 
infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa continues to 
discourage investment in the region. 
(6) Regional integration establishes a founda-
tion on which sub-Saharan African countries can co-
ordinate and pursue policies grounded in African in-
terests and history to achieve sustainable develop-
ment. 
(7) Expanded trade because of Act has im-
proved fundamental economic conditions within sub- 
Saharan Africa. The Act has helped to create jobs 
in the poorest region of the world, and most sub-Sa-
haran African countries have sought to take advan-
tage of the opportunities provided by the Act. 
(8) Agricultural biotechnology holds promise for 
helping solve global food security and human health 
crises in Africa and, according to recent studies, has 
made contributions to the protection of the environ-
ment by reducing the application of pesticides, re-
ducing soil erosion, and creating an environment 
more hospitable to wildlife. 
(9)(A) One of the greatest challenges facing Af-
rican countries continues to be the HIV/AIDS epi-
demic, which has infected as many as one out of 
every four people in some countries, creating tre-
mendous social, political, and economic costs. Afri-
can countries need continued United States financial 
and technical assistance to combat this epidemic. 
(B) More awareness and involvement by govern-
ments are necessary. Countries like Uganda, recog-
nizing the threat of HIV/AIDS, have boldly attacked 
it through a combination of education, public aware-
ness, enhanced medical infrastructure and resources, 
and greater access to medical treatment. An effec-
tive HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment strategy 
involves all of these steps. 
(10) African countries continue to need trade 
capacity assistance to establish viable economic ca-
pacity, a well-grounded rule of law, and efficient 
government practices. 
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
The Congress supports— 
(1) a continued commitment to increase trade 
between the United States and sub-Saharan Africa 
and increase investment in sub-Saharan Africa to 
the benefit of workers, businesses, and farmers in 
the United States and in sub-Saharan Africa, in-
cluding by developing innovative approaches to en-
courage development and investment in sub-Saharan 
Africa; 
(2) a reduction of tariff and nontariff barriers 
and other obstacles to trade between the countries of 
sub-Saharan Africa and the United States, with par-
ticular emphasis on reducing barriers to trade in 
emerging sectors of the economy that have the 
greatest potential for development; 
(3) development of sub-Saharan Africa’s phys-
ical and financial infrastructure; 
(4) international efforts to fight HIV/AIDS, 
malaria, tuberculosis, other infectious diseases, and 
serious public health problems; 
(5) many of the aims of the New Partnership 
for African Development (NEPAD), which include— 
(A) reducing poverty and increasing eco-
nomic growth; 
(B) promoting peace, democracy, security, 
and human rights; 
(C) promoting African integration by deep-
ening linkages between African countries and 
by accelerating Africa’s economic and political 
integration into the rest of the world; 
(D) attracting investment, debt relief, and 
development assistance;
(E) promoting trade and economic diver-
sification; 
(F) broadening global market access for 
United States and African exports; 
(G) improving transparency, good govern-
ance, and political accountability; 
(H) expanding access to social services, 
education, and health services with a high pri-
ority given to addressing HIV/AIDS, malaria, 
tuberculosis, other infectious diseases, and 
other public health problems; 
(I) promoting the role of women in social 
and economic development by reinforcing edu-
cation and training and by assuring their par-
ticipation in political and economic arenas; and 
(J) building the capacity of governments in 
sub-Saharan Africa to set and enforce a legal 
framework, as well as to enforce the rule of law; 
(6) negotiation of reciprocal trade agreements 
between the United States and sub-Saharan African 
countries, with the overall goal of expanding trade 
across all of sub-Saharan Africa; 
(7) the President seeking to negotiate, with in-
terested eligible sub-Saharan African countries, bi-
lateral trade agreements that provide investment op-
portunities, in accordance with section 2102(b)(3) of 
the Trade Act of 2002 (19 U.S.C. 3802(b)(3)); 
(8) efforts by the President to negotiate with 
the member countries of the Southern African Cus-
toms Union in order to provide the opportunity to 
deepen and make permanent the benefits of the Act 
while giving the United States access to the markets 
of these African countries for United States goods 
and services, by reducing tariffs and non-tariff bar-
riers, strengthening intellectual property protection, 
improving transparency, establishing general dispute 
settlement mechanisms, and investor-state and state- 
to-state dispute settlement mechanisms in invest-
ment; 
(9) a comprehensive and ambitious trade agree-
ment with the Southern African Customs Union, 
covering all products and sectors, in order to mature 
the economic relationship between sub-Saharan Afri-
can countries and the United States and because 
such an agreement would deepen United States eco-
nomic and political ties to the region, lend momen-
tum to United States development efforts, encourage 
greater United States investment, and promote re-
gional integration and economic growth;
(10) regional integration among sub-Saharan 
African countries and business partnerships between 
United States and African firms; and 
(11) economic diversification in sub-Saharan 
African countries and expansion of trade beyond tex-
tiles and apparel. 
SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON RECIPROCITY AND RE-
GIONAL ECONOMIC INTEGRATION. 
It is the sense of the Congress that— 
(1) the preferential market access opportunities 
for eligible sub-Saharan African countries will be 
complemented and enhanced if those countries are 
implementing actively and fully, consistent with any 
remaining applicable phase-in periods, their obliga-
tions under the World Trade Organization, including 
obligations under the Agreement on Trade-Related 
Aspects of Intellectual Property, the Agreement on 
the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Meas-
ures, and the Agreement on Trade-Related Invest-
ment Measures, as well as the other agreements de-
scribed in section 101(d) of the Uruguay Round 
Agreements Act (19 U.S.C. 3511(d)); 
(2) eligible sub-Saharan African countries 
should participate in and support mutual trade liber-
alization in ongoing negotiations under the auspices
of the World Trade Organization, including by mak-
ing reciprocal commitments with respect to improv-
ing market access for industrial and agricultural 
goods, and for services, recognizing that such com-
mitments may need to reflect special and differential 
treatment for developing countries; 
(3) some of the most pernicious trade barriers 
against exports by developing countries are the trade 
barriers maintained by other developing countries; 
therefore, eligible sub-Saharan African countries will 
benefit from the reduction of trade barriers in other 
developing countries, especially in developing coun-
tries that represent some of the greatest potential 
markets for African goods and services; and 
(4) all countries should make sanitary and 
phytosanitary decisions on the basis of sound 
science. 
SEC. 5. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON INTERPRETATION OF TEX-
TILE AND APPAREL PROVISIONS OF AGOA. 
It is the sense of the Congress that the executive 
branch, particularly the Committee for the Implementa-
tion of Textile Agreements (CITA), the Bureau of Cus-
toms and Border Protection of the Department of Home-
land Security, and the Department of Commerce, should 
interpret, implement, and enforce the provisions of section
112 of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, relating 
to preferential treatment of textile and apparel articles, 
broadly in order to expand trade by maximizing opportuni-
ties for imports of such articles from eligible sub-Saharan 
African countries. 
SEC. 6. DEFINITION. 
In this Act, the term ‘‘eligible sub-Saharan African 
country’’ means an eligible sub-Saharan African country 
under the African Growth and Opportunity Act. 
SEC. 7. EXTENSION OF AFRICAN GROWTH AND OPPOR-
TUNITY ACT. 
(a) GENERALIZED SYSTEM OF PREFERENCES.—Sec-
tion 506B of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2466b) 
is amended by striking ‘‘2008’’ and inserting ‘‘2015’’. 
(b) APPAREL ARTICLES.—(1) Section 112(b)(1) of 
the African Growth and Opportunity Act (19 U.S.C. 
3721(b)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘(including’’ and in-
serting ‘‘or both (including’’. 
(2) Section 112(b)(3) of the African Growth and Op-
portunity Act (19 U.S.C. 3721 (b)(3)) is amended— 
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
(A)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘either in the United States 
or one or more beneficiary sub-Saharan African 
countries’’ each place it appears and inserting
‘‘in the United States or one or more bene-
ficiary sub-Saharan African countries or former 
beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries, or 
both’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘subject to the following:’’ 
and inserting ‘‘whether or not the apparel arti-
cles are also made from any of the fabrics, fab-
ric components formed, or components knit-to- 
shape described in paragraph (1) or (2) (unless 
the apparel articles are made exclusively from 
any of the fabrics, fabric components formed, or 
components knit-to-shape described in para-
graph (1) or (2)), subject to the following:’’; 
and 
(B) by striking subparagraphs (A) and (B) and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(A) LIMITATIONS ON BENEFITS.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Preferential treat-
ment under this paragraph shall be ex-
tended in the 1-year period beginning Oc-
tober 1, 2003, and in each of the 11 suc-
ceeding 1-year periods, to imports of ap-
parel articles in an amount not to exceed 
the applicable percentage of the aggregate 
square meter equivalents of all apparel ar-
ticles imported into the United States in 
the preceding 12-month period for which 
data are available. 
‘‘(ii) APPLICABLE PERCENTAGE.—For 
purposes of this subparagraph, the term 
‘applicable percentage’ means— 
‘‘(I) 4.747 percent for the 1-year 
period beginning October 1, 2003, in-
creased in each of the 5 succeeding 1- 
year periods by equal increments, so 
that for the 1-year period beginning 
October 1, 2007, the applicable per-
centage does not exceed 7 percent; 
and 
‘‘(II) for each succeeding 1-year 
period until September 30, 2015, not 
to exceed 7 percent. 
‘‘(B) SPECIAL RULE FOR LESSER DEVEL-
OPED COUNTRIES.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Preferential treat-
ment under this paragraph shall be ex-
tended though September 30, 2007, for ap-
parel articles wholly assembled, or knit-to- 
shape and wholly assembled, or both, in 
one or more lesser developed beneficiary
sub-Saharan African countries, regardless 
of the country of origin of the fabric or the 
yarn used to make such articles, in an 
amount not to exceed the applicable per-
centage of the aggregate square meter 
equivalents of all apparel articles imported 
into the United States in the preceding 12- 
month period for which data are available. 
‘‘(ii) APPLICABLE PERCENTAGE.—For 
purposes of the subparagraph, the term 
‘applicable percentage’ means— 
‘‘(I) 2.3571 percent for the 1- 
year period beginning October 1, 
2003, the 1-year period beginning Oc-
tober 1, 2004, and the 1-year period 
beginning October 1, 2005; and 
‘‘(II) 1.17855 percent for the 1- 
year period beginning October 1, 
2006. 
‘‘(iii) LESSER
DEVELOPED
BENE-
FICIARY
SUB-SAHARAN
AFRICAN
COUN-
TRY.—For purposes of this subparagraph, 
the term ‘lesser developed beneficiary sub- 
Saharan African country’ means—
‘‘(I) a beneficiary sub-Saharan 
African country that had a per capita 
gross national product of less than 
$1,500 in 1998, as measured by the 
International Bank for Reconstruction 
and Development; 
‘‘(II) Botswana; and 
‘‘(III) Namibia.’’. 
(3) Section 112(b)(5)(A) of the African Growth and 
Opportunity Act (19 U.S.C. 3721(b)(5)(A)) is amended 
to read as follows: 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Apparel articles that 
are both cut (or knit-to-shape) and sewn or oth-
erwise assembled in one or more beneficiary 
sub-Saharan African countries, to the extent 
that apparel articles of such fabrics or yarns 
would be eligible for preferential treatment, 
without regard to the source of the fabrics or 
yarns, under Annex 401 to the NAFTA.’’. 
(c) HANDLOOMED, HANDMADE, FOLKLORE ARTI-
CLES
AND
ETHNIC
PRINTED
FABRICS.—Section 
112(b)(6) of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (19 
U.S.C. 3721(b)(6)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(6) HANDLOOMED, 
HANDMADE, 
FOLKLORE 
ARTICLES AND ETHNIC PRINTED FABRICS.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A handloomed, hand-
made, folklore article or an ethnic printed fab-
ric of a beneficiary sub-Saharan African coun-
try or countries that is certified as such by the 
competent authority of such beneficiary country 
or countries. For purposes of this section, the 
President, after consultation with the bene-
ficiary sub-Saharan African country or coun-
tries concerned, shall determine which, if any, 
particular textile and apparel goods of the coun-
try (or countries) shall be treated as being 
handloomed, handmade, or folklore articles or 
an ethic printed fabric. 
‘‘(B) REQUIREMENTS FOR ETHNIC PRINT-
ED
FABRIC.—Ethnic printed fabrics qualified 
under this paragraph are— 
‘‘(i) fabrics containing a selvedge on 
both edges, having a width of less than 50 
inches, 
classifiable 
under 
subheading 
5208.52.30 or 5208.52.40 of the Har-
monized Tariff Schedule of the United 
States; 
‘‘(ii) of the type that contains designs, 
symbols, and other characteristics of Afri-
can prints—
‘‘(I) normally produced for and 
sold on the indigenous African mar-
ket; and 
‘‘(II) normally sold in Africa by 
the piece as opposed to being tailored 
into garments before being sold in in-
digenous African markets; 
‘‘(iii) printed, including waxed, in one 
or more eligible beneficiary sub-Saharan 
countries; and 
‘‘(iv) fabrics formed in the United 
States, from yarns formed in the United 
States, or from fabric formed in one or 
more 
beneficiary 
sub-Saharan 
African 
country from yarn originating in either the 
United States or one or more beneficiary 
sub-Saharan African countries.’’. 
(d) 
REGIONAL
AND
U.S. 
SOURCES.—Section 
112(b)(7) of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (19 
U.S.C. 3721(b)(7)) is amended by inserting ‘‘or former 
beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries’’ after ‘‘and one 
or more beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries’’ each 
place it appears. 
(e) SPECIAL RULES.—
(1) COLLARS AND CUFFS.—Section 112(d) of 
the African Growth and Opportunity Act (19 U.S.C. 
3721(d)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(3) COLLARS AND CUFFS.—An article other-
wise eligible for preferential treatment under this 
section will not be ineligible for such treatment be-
cause the article contains any collars or cuffs (cut or 
knit-to-shape) that do not meet the requirements set 
forth in subsection (b), regardless of the country of 
origin of such collars or cuffs.’’. 
(2) DE MINIMIS RULE.—Section 112(d)(2) of 
the African Growth and Opportunity Act (19 U.S.C. 
3721(d)(2)) is amended by inserting ‘‘or former ben-
eficiary sub-Saharan African countries’’ after ‘‘coun-
tries’’. 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—Section 112(f) of the African 
Growth and Opportunity Act (19 U.S.C. 3721(f)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) FORMER
SUB-SAHARAN
AFRICAN
COUN-
TRY.—The term ‘former sub-Saharan African coun-
try’ mean a country that was designated as a bene-
ficiary sub-Saharan African country after the enact-
ment of this Act, but thereafter ceased to be such 
a beneficiary sub-Saharan country by reason of its
entering into a free trade agreement with the United 
States.’’. 
SEC. 8. ENTRIES OF CERTAIN APPAREL ARTICLES PURSU-
ANT TO THE AFRICAN GROWTH AND OPPOR-
TUNITY ACT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding section 514 of 
the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1514) or any other pro-
vision of law, the Secretary of the Treasury shall liquidate 
or reliquidate as free of duty and free of any quantitative 
restrictions, limitations, or consultation levels entries of 
articles described in subsection (d) made on or after Octo-
ber 1, 2000, and before the date of the enactment of this 
Act. 
(b) REQUESTS.—Liquidation or reliquidation may be 
made under subsection (a) with respect to an entry de-
scribed in subsection (d) only if a request therefor is filed 
with the Secretary of the Treasury within 90 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act and the request con-
tains sufficient information to enable the Secretary to lo-
cate the entry or reconstruct the entry if it cannot be lo-
cated. 
(c) PAYMENT OF AMOUNTS OWED.—Any amounts 
owed by the United States pursuant to the liquidation or 
reliquidation of any entry under subsection (a) shall be
paid not later than 180 days after the date of such liquida-
tion or reliquidation. 
(d) ENTRIES.—The entries referred to in subsection 
(a) are entries of apparel articles that meet the require-
ments of section 112(b) of the African Growth and Oppor-
tunity Act (as amended by section 3108 of the Trade Act 
of 2002 and this Act). 
SEC. 9. DEVELOPMENT STUDY AND CAPACITY BUILDING. 
(a) REPORTS.—The President shall, by not later than 
1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, conduct 
a study on each eligible sub-Saharan African country, 
that— 
(1) identifies sectors of the economy of that 
country with the greatest potential for growth, in-
cluding through export sales; 
(2) identifies barriers, both domestically and 
internationally, that are impeding growth in such 
sectors; and 
(3) makes recommendations on how the United 
States Government and the private sector can pro-
vide technical assistance to that country to assist in 
dismantling such barriers and in promoting invest-
ment in such sectors. 
(b) DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION.—The Presi-
dent shall disseminate information in each study con-
ducted under subsection (a) to the appropriate United 
States agencies for the purpose of implementing rec-
ommendations on the provision of technical assistance and 
in identifying opportunities for United States investors, 
businesses, and farmers. 
SEC. 10. ACTIVITIES IN SUPPORT OF INFRASTRUCTURE TO 
SUPPORT INCREASING TRADE CAPACITY AND 
ECOTOURISM. 
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following: 
(1) Ecotourism, which consists of— 
(A) responsible and sustainable travel and 
visitation to relatively undisturbed natural areas 
in order to enjoy and appreciate nature (and 
any accompanying cultural features, both past 
and present) and animals, including species 
that are rare or endangered, 
(B) promotion of conservation and provi-
sion for beneficial involvement of local popu-
lations, and 
(C) visitation designed to have low negative 
impact upon the environment, 
is expected to expand 30 percent globally over the 
next decade. 
(2) Ecotourism will increase trade capacity by 
sustaining otherwise unsustainable infrastructure,
such as road, port, water, energy, and telecommuni-
cation development. 
(3) According to the United States Department 
of State and the United Nations Environment Pro-
gramme, sustainable tourism, such as ecotourism, 
can be an important part of the economic develop-
ment of a region, especially a region with natural 
and cultural protected areas. 
(4) Sub-Saharan Africa enjoys an international 
comparative advantage in ecotourism because it fea-
tures extensive protected areas that host a variety of 
ecosystems and traditional cultures that are major 
attractions for nature-oriented tourism. 
(5) National parks and reserves in sub-Saharan 
Africa should be considered a basis for regional de-
velopment, involving communities living within and 
adjacent to them and, given their strong inter-
national recognition, provide an advantage in 
ecotourism marketing and promotion. 
(6) Desert areas in sub-Saharan Africa rep-
resent complex ecotourism attractions, showcasing 
natural, geological, and archaeological features, and 
nomad and other cultures and traditions. 
(7) Many natural zones in sub-Saharan Africa 
cross the political borders of several countries; there-
fore, transboundary cooperation is fundamental for 
all types of ecotourism development. 
(8) The commercial viability of ecotourism is 
enhanced when small and medium enterprises, par-
ticularly microenterprises, successfully engage with 
the tourism industry in sub-Saharan Africa. 
(9) Adequate capacity building is an essential 
component of ecotourism development if local com-
munities are to be real stakeholders that can sustain 
an equitable approach to ecotourism management. 
(10) Ecotourism needs to generate local com-
munity benefits by utilizing sub-Saharan Africa’s 
natural heritage, parks, wildlife reserves, and other 
protected areas that can play a significant role in 
encouraging local economic development by sourcing 
food and other locally produced resources. 
(b) ACTION
BY
THE PRESIDENT.—The President 
shall develop and implement policies to— 
(1) encourage the development of infrastructure 
projects that will help to increase trade capacity and 
a sustainable ecotourism industry in eligible sub-Sa-
haran African countries; 
(2) encourage and facilitate transboundary co-
operation among sub-Saharan African countries in 
order to facilitate trade;
(3) encourage the provision of technical assist-
ance to eligible sub-Saharan African countries to es-
tablish and sustain adequate trade capacity develop-
ment; and 
(4) encourage micro-, small-, and medium-sized 
enterprises in eligible sub-Saharan African countries 
to participate in the ecotourism industry. 
SEC. 11. ACTIVITIES IN SUPPORT OF TRANSPORTATION, 
ENERGY, AGRICULTURE, AND TELECOMMUNI-
CATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following: 
(1) In order to increase exports from, and trade 
among, eligible sub-Saharan African countries, 
transportation systems in those countries must be 
improved to increase transport efficiencies and lower 
transport costs. 
(2) Vibrant economic growth requires a devel-
oped telecommunication and energy infrastructure. 
(3) Sub-Saharan Africa is rich in exportable ag-
ricultural goods, but development of this industry re-
mains stymied because of an underdeveloped infra-
structure. 
(b) ACTION BY THE PRESIDENT.—In order to en-
hance trade with Africa and to bring the benefits of trade 
to African countries, the President shall develop and im-
plement policies to encourage investment in eligible sub- 
Saharan African countries, particularly with respect to the 
following: 
(1) Infrastructure projects that support, in par-
ticular, development of land transport road and rail-
road networks and ports, and the continued upgrad-
ing and liberalization of the energy and tele-
communications sectors. 
(2) The establishment and expansion of modern 
information and communication technologies and 
practices to improve the ability of citizens to re-
search and disseminate information relating to, 
among other things, the economy, education, trade, 
health, agriculture, the environment, and the media. 
(3) Agriculture, particularly in processing and 
capacity enhancement. 
SEC. 12. FACILITATION OF TRANSPORTATION. 
In order to facilitate and increase trade flows between 
eligible sub-Saharan African countries and the United 
States, the President shall foster improved port-to-port 
and airport-to-airport relationships. These relationships 
should facilitate— 
(1) increased coordination between customs 
services at ports and airports in the United States
and such countries in order to reduce time in tran-
sit; 
(2) interaction between customs and technical 
staff from ports and airports in the United States 
and such countries in order to increase efficiency 
and safety procedures and protocols relating to 
trade; 
(3) coordination between chambers of com-
merce, freight forwarders, customs brokers, and oth-
ers involved in consolidating and moving freight; and 
(4) trade through air service between airports 
in the United States and such countries by increas-
ing frequency and capacity. 
SEC. 13. AGRICULTURAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. 
(a) IDENTIFICATION OF COUNTRIES.—The President 
shall identify not fewer than 10 eligible sub-Saharan Afri-
can countries as having the greatest potential to increase 
marketable exports of agricultural products to the United 
States and the greatest need for technical assistance, par-
ticularly with respect to pest risk assessments and com-
plying with sanitary and phytosanitary rules of the United 
States. 
(b) PERSONNEL.—The President shall assign at least 
20 full-time personnel for the purpose of providing assist-
ance to the countries identified under subsection (a) to
ensure that exports of agricultural products from those 
countries meet the requirements of United States law. 
SEC. 14. TRADE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON AFRICA. 
The President shall convene the trade advisory com-
mittee on Africa established by Executive Order 11846 of 
March 27, 1975, under section 135(c) of the Trade Act 
of 1974, in order to facilitate the goals and objectives of 
the African Growth and Opportunity Act and this Act, and 
to maintain ongoing discussions with African trade and 
agriculture ministries and private sector organizations on 
issues of mutual concern, including regional and inter-
national trade concerns and World Trade Organization 
issues. 
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