Sec. 4. Improving utilization of African Growth and Opportunity Act
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Section 506A(a)(1) of the Trade Act of 1974 ( 19 U.S.C. 2466a(a)(1) ) is amended— in subparagraph (A), by striking and at the end; in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and by adding at the end the following: if the country has published an AGOA utilization strategy that meets the requirements of section 118 of the African Growth and Opportunity Act. . The amendments made by paragraph (1)— take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act; and apply with respect to a country that is a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country as of such date of enactment and that has not published a national utilization strategy as required by section 118 of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (as added by subsection (b)) by the date that is not later than 1 year after such date of enactment.
Subtitle B of the African Growth and Opportunity Act ( 19 U.S.C. 3721 et seq. ) is amended by adding at the end the following: It is the sense of Congress that— beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries should develop utilization strategies on a biennial basis in order to more effectively and strategically utilize benefits available under this Act and section 506A of the Trade Act of 1974 ( 19 U.S.C. 2466a ) (in this section referred to as AGOA utilization strategies ); United States trade capacity building agencies should work with, and provide appropriate resources to, such sub-Saharan African countries to assist in developing and implementing biennial AGOA utilization strategies; and as appropriate, and to encourage greater regional integration, the United States Trade Representative should consider requesting the Regional Economic Communities to prepare biennial AGOA utilization strategies.
It is further the sense of Congress that biennial AGOA utilization strategies should identify strategic needs and priorities to bolster utilization of benefits available under this Act. To that end, biennial AGOA utilization strategies should— review potential exports under this Act and section 506A of the Trade Act of 1974 ( 19 U.S.C. 2466a ) and identify opportunities and obstacles to increased trade and investment and enhanced poverty reduction efforts; identify obstacles to regional integration that inhibit utilization of benefits under this Act and section 506A of the Trade Act of 1974; set out a plan to take advantage of opportunities and address obstacles identified in subparagraphs
(A)and (B), improve awareness of this Act as a program that enhances exports to the United States, and utilize United States Agency for International Development regional trade hubs; set out a strategy to promote small business and entrepreneurship; and eliminate obstacles to regional trade and promote greater utilization of benefits under this Act and section 506A of the Trade Act of 1974 and establish a plan to promote full regional implementation of the Agreement on Trade Facilitation of the World Trade Organization. It is further the sense of Congress that— each beneficiary sub-Saharan African country should publish on an appropriate internet website of such country public versions of its AGOA utilization strategy; and the United States Trade Representative should publish on the internet website of the Office of the United States Trade Representative public versions of all AGOA utilization strategies described in subparagraph (A). Each beneficiary sub-Saharan African country that has published an AGOA utilization strategy as described in paragraph
(3)of subsection
(a)that meets the criteria described in paragraph
(2)of that subsection is eligible for the assistance described in paragraph (2). The Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development should assist each country that is eligible under paragraph
(1)in the implementation of the AGOA utilization strategy of the country, including assistance in— developing a business environment conducive to international trade and investment; establishing trade-related infrastructure and industrial zones; conducting export promotion activities; modernizing and improving customs operations and procedures; meeting sanitary and phytosanitary standards; minimizing technical barriers to trade; protecting intellectual property rights; implementing the Agreement on Trade Facilitation of the World Trade Organization; furthering labor and environmental standards; and other trade capacity building activities. In this section, the term beneficiary sub-Saharan African country has the meaning given that term in section 506A(e) of the Trade Act of 1974 ( 19 U.S.C. 2466a(f) ). . The table of contents for the African Growth and Opportunity Act is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 117 the following: Sec. 118. Biennial utilization strategies. . Section 107 of the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015 ( Public Law 114–27 ; 129 Stat. 368) is repealed.
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Sec. 4
Improving utilization of African Growth and Opportunity Act
Stat.129 Stat. 368
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