IB 
Union Calendar No. 285
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4103
[Report No. 108–501] 
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 
MAY 19, 2004
Additional sponsors: Mr. LEVIN, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of 
Texas, Mr. MCNULTY, Mr. BELL, Mr. SHAW, Mr. RAMSTAD, Mr. 
ENGLISH, Mr. HULSHOF, Mr. MCINNIS, Mr. MCCRERY, Mr. LEWIS of 
Kentucky, Mr. WEINER, and Mr. OWENS
MAY 19, 2004 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on April 1, 2004] 
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 bolster eco-
nomic reforms in the countries of sub-Saharan 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 en-
actment of the Act, while exports from sub-Saharan 
Africa to the United States have increased consider-
ably. 
(2) The Act’s eligibility requirements have rein-
forced democratic values and the rule of law, and 
have strengthened adherence to internationally recog-
nized worker rights in eligible sub-Saharan African 
countries. 
(3) The Act has helped to bring about substantial 
increases in foreign investment in sub-Saharan Afri-
ca, especially in the textile and apparel sectors, where 
tens of thousands of new jobs have been created. 
(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 indus-
try will be severely challenged by countries whose in-
dustries are more developed and have greater capac-
ity, 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 foundation 
on which sub-Saharan African countries can coordi-
nate and pursue policies grounded in African inter-
ests and history to achieve sustainable development. 
(7) Expanded trade because of the 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-Saharan 
African countries have sought to take advantage 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, reduc-
ing soil erosion, and creating an environment more 
hospitable to wildlife. 
(9) (A) One of the greatest challenges facing Afri-
can countries continues to be the HIV/AIDS epidemic, 
which has infected as many as one out of every four 
people in some countries, creating tremendous social, 
political, and economic costs. African countries need 
continued United States financial and technical as-
sistance 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 effective 
HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment strategy in-
volves all of these steps. 
(10) African countries continue to need trade ca-
pacity assistance to establish viable economic capac-
ity, a well-grounded rule of law, and efficient govern-
ment 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, including 
by developing innovative approaches to encourage de-
velopment 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 physical 
and financial infrastructure; 
(4) international efforts to fight HIV/AIDS, ma-
laria, tuberculosis, other infectious diseases, and seri-
ous 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 inte-
gration 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, edu-
cation, and health services with a high priority 
given to addressing HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuber-
culosis, 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 be-
tween 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 inter-
ested eligible sub-Saharan African countries, bilateral 
trade agreements that provide investment opportuni-
ties, 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 Customs 
Union in order to provide the opportunity to deepen 
and make permanent the benefits of the Act while giv-
ing the United States access to the markets of these 
African countries for United States goods and serv-
ices, by reducing tariffs and non-tariff barriers, 
strengthening intellectual property protection, im-
proving transparency, establishing general dispute 
settlement mechanisms, and investor-state and state-
to-state dispute settlement mechanisms in investment; 
(9) a comprehensive and ambitious trade agree-
ment with the Southern African Customs Union, cov-
ering all products and sectors, in order to mature the 
economic relationship between sub-Saharan African 
countries and the United States and because such an
agreement would deepen United States economic and 
political ties to the region, lend momentum to United 
States development efforts, encourage greater United 
States investment, and promote regional 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 Af-
rican countries and expansion of trade beyond textiles 
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 im-
plementing actively and fully, consistent with any re-
maining applicable phase-in periods, their obligations 
under the World Trade Organization, including obli-
gations under the Agreement on Trade-Related As-
pects of Intellectual Property, the Agreement on the 
Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, 
and the Agreement on Trade-Related Investment 
Measures, as well as the other agreements described 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 liberaliza-
tion in ongoing negotiations under the auspices of the 
World Trade Organization, including by making re-
ciprocal commitments with respect to improving mar-
ket access for industrial and agricultural goods, and 
for services, recognizing that such commitments 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 Implementation of Tex-
tile Agreements (CITA), the Bureau of Customs and Border 
Protection of the Department of Homeland 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 treat-
ment of textile and apparel articles, broadly in order to 
expand trade by maximizing opportunities 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.—
(1) EXTENSION OF PROGRAM.—Section 506B of 
the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2466b) is amended 
by striking ‘‘2008’’ and inserting ‘‘2015’’. 
(2) INPUTS FROM FORMER BENEFICIARY COUN-
TRIES.—Section 506A of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 
U.S.C. 2466a) is amended—
(A) in subsection (b)(2)(B), by inserting ‘‘or 
former beneficiary sub-Saharan African coun-
tries’’ after ‘‘countries’’; and 
(B) in subsection (c)—
(i) by striking ‘‘title, the terms’’ and 
inserting ‘‘title—
‘‘(1) the terms’’; and 
(ii) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) the term ‘former beneficiary sub-Saharan 
African country’ means a country that, after being 
designated as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African 
country under the African Growth and Opportunity 
Act, ceased to be designated as such a country by rea-
son of its entering into a free trade agreement with 
the United States.’’. 
(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 beneficiary 
sub-Saharan African countries or former bene-
ficiary 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, fabric 
components formed, or components knit-to-shape 
described in paragraph (1) or (2) (unless the ap-
parel articles are made exclusively from any of 
the fabrics, fabric components formed, or compo-
nents knit-to-shape described in paragraph (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 Octo-
ber 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 arti-
cles 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-Sa-
haran 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 percentage 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 ‘ap-
plicable percentage’ means—
‘‘(I) 2.3571 percent for the 1-year 
period beginning October 1, 2003; 
‘‘(II) 2.6428 percent for the 1-year 
period beginning October 1, 2004; 
‘‘(III) 2.9285 percent for the 1-
year period beginning October 1, 2005; 
and 
‘‘(IV) 1.6071 percent for the 1-
year period beginning October 1, 2006. 
‘‘(iii) 
LESSER
DEVELOPED
BENE-
FICIARY SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN COUNTRY.—
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 ap-
parel 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 ARTICLES 
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 AR-
TICLES AND ETHNIC PRINTED FABRICS.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A handloomed, hand-
made, folklore article or an ethnic printed fabric 
of a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country or 
countries that is certified as such by the com-
petent authority of such beneficiary country or 
countries. For purposes of this section, the Presi-
dent, after consultation with the beneficiary sub-
Saharan African country or countries concerned, 
shall determine which, if any, particular textile 
and apparel goods of the country (or countries) 
shall be treated as being handloomed, handmade, 
or folklore articles or an ethic printed fabric. 
‘‘(B) REQUIREMENTS FOR ETHNIC PRINTED 
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 Harmonized 
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 market; 
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) CERTAIN COMPONENTS.—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) CERTAIN COMPONENTS.—An article other-
wise eligible for preferential treatment under this sec-
tion will not be ineligible for such treatment because 
the article contains—
‘‘(A) any collars or cuffs (cut or knit-to-
shape), 
‘‘(B) drawstrings, 
‘‘(C) shoulder pads or other padding, 
‘‘(D) waistbands, 
‘‘(E) belt attached to the article, 
‘‘(F) straps containing elastic, or 
‘‘(G) elbow patches, 
that do not meet the requirements set forth in sub-
section (b), regardless of the country of origin of the 
item referred to in the applicable subparagraph of 
this paragraph.’’. 
(2) DE MINIMIS RULE.—Section 112(d)(2) of the 
African Growth and Opportunity Act (19 U.S.C. 
3721(d)(2)) is amended—
(A) by inserting ‘‘or former beneficiary sub-
Saharan African countries’’ after ‘‘countries’’; 
and 
(B) by striking ‘‘7 percent’’ and inserting 
‘‘10 percent’’. 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—Section 112(e) of the African 
Growth and Opportunity Act (19 U.S.C. 3721(e)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(4) FORMER
SUB-SAHARAN
AFRICAN
COUN-
TRY.—The term ‘former sub-Saharan African coun-
try’ means a country that, after being designated as 
a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country under this 
Act, ceased to be designated as 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 provision 
of law, the Secretary of the Treasury shall liquidate or reliq-
uidate as free of duty and free of any quantitative restric-
tions, limitations, or consultation levels entries of articles 
described in subsection (d) made on or after October 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 locate 
the entry or reconstruct the entry if it cannot be located.
(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 requirements 
of section 112(b) of the African Growth and Opportunity 
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 coun-
try with the greatest potential for growth, including 
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 provide 
technical assistance to that country to assist in dis-
mantling such barriers and in promoting investment 
in such sectors. 
(b) DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION.—The President 
shall disseminate information in each study conducted 
under subsection (a) to the appropriate United States agen-
cies for the purpose of implementing recommendations on 
the provision of technical assistance and in identifying op-
portunities 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 development of 
a region, especially a region with natural and cul-
tural 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 at-
tractions for nature-oriented tourism. 
(5) National parks and reserves in sub-Saharan 
Africa should be considered a basis for regional devel-
opment, involving communities living within and ad-
jacent to them and, given their strong international 
recognition, provide an advantage in ecotourism mar-
keting and promotion. 
(6) Desert areas in sub-Saharan Africa represent 
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 en-
hanced when small and medium enterprises, particu-
larly microenterprises, successfully engage with the 
tourism industry in sub-Saharan Africa. 
(9) Adequate capacity building is an essential 
component of ecotourism development if local commu-
nities are to be real stakeholders that can sustain an 
equitable approach to ecotourism management. 
(10) Ecotourism needs to generate local commu-
nity benefits by utilizing sub-Saharan Africa’s nat-
ural heritage, parks, wildlife reserves, and other pro-
tected areas that can play a significant role in en-
couraging 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, EN-
ERGY, 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, trans-
portation systems in those countries must be im-
proved 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 enhance 
trade with Africa and to bring the benefits of trade to Afri-
can countries, the President shall develop and implement 
policies to encourage investment in eligible sub-Saharan Af-
rican 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 telecommuni-
cations sectors. 
(2) The establishment and expansion of modern 
information and communication technologies and 
practices to improve the ability of citizens to research 
and disseminate information relating to, among other 
things, the economy, education, trade, health, agri-
culture, 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 serv-
ices at ports and airports in the United States and 
such countries in order to reduce time in transit; 
(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 commerce, 
freight forwarders, customs brokers, and others in-
volved in consolidating and moving freight; and 
(4) trade through air service between airports in 
the United States and such countries by increasing 
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 en-
sure that exports of agricultural products from those coun-
tries 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 agri-
culture ministries and private sector organizations on 
issues of mutual concern, including regional and inter-
national trade concerns and World Trade Organization 
issues.