Ambassador Kirk is in Dakar, Senegal, because he, President Obama and others in the U.S. Administration strongly believe that a new relationship with Africa based on trade is one that is critical, not only for Africa's development, but for strengthening the US-Africa relationship/partnership.
Today Ambassador Kirk met with Prime Minister Ndene Ndiaye and Trade Minister Amadou Niang to discuss a range of issues such as trade under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), the Doha negotiations and efforts the government of Senegal is taking to improve the business environment and attract investment.
Prime Minister Ndene Ndiaye greets Ambassador Kirk upon his arrival.
Ambassador Kirk and Minister Niang speaking to reporters during the joint press conference after their meeting.
Ambassador Kirk and Minister Niang speaking to reporters during the joint press conference after their meeting.
During lunch, Ambassador Kirk met with Senegalese producers and exporters from a range of sectors including fruits and vegetables, shea butter, apparel, furniture and home decor to discuss the successes and challenges they face exporting to the United States under AGOA.
Mame Khary Diene, owner of Bioessence Laboratories, talks to Ambassador Kirk about her shea butter products.
Now in its tenth year, AGOA expands on the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Program by providing eligible African countries with duty-free access to the U.S. market for nearly 6,400 eligible items.
Since its inception, AGOA has helped to increase U.S. two-way trade with sub-Saharan Africa. In 2008, U.S. total imports from sub-Saharan Africa were more than four times the amount in 2001 - exceeding $86 billion - while U.S. total exports to sub-Saharan Africa more than doubled during this period, reaching $18.6 billion.
