USTR Unveils Schedule for AGOA Eligibility Review
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative asked stakeholders for comments on country eligibility in the African Growth and Opportunity Act, and the agency plans to hold a hearing on AGOA eligibility in mid-September (here). USTR notified the public on the following hearing date and comment deadlines:
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- Sept. 3: Deadline for filing requests to appear at the Sept. 10 public hearing, and for filing pre-hearing briefs, statements, or comments on sub-Saharan African countries’ AGOA eligibility.
- Sept. 10: AGOA Implementation Subcommittee of the [Trade Policy Staff Committee) will convene a public hearing on AGOA eligibility.
- Sept. 16: Deadline for filing post-hearing briefs, statements, or comments on this matter.
AGOA eligibility requirements, embodied in section 104 of the law, focus on progress toward a market-based economy, good governance, free flow of trade, national security implications and labor rights. Thirty-nine sub-Saharan African countries are now AGOA beneficiaries. The Labor Department may also analyze comments on child labor.
USTR is reviewing South Africa’s status in AGOA in a separate out-of-cycle review, motivated in large part by Congressional criticism of South African barriers on agriculture trade (see 1508070021). USTR encourages stakeholders to submit comments through www.regulations.gov, docket number USTR-2015-0011.
(Federal Register 08/14/15)