Africa and The Middle East

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer’s proposal for a “model” bilateral trade deal with an African country that could eventually supplant the African Growth and Opportunity Act attracted little interest this week, South Africa’s trade minister Rob Davies said on Friday, with AGOA countries saying they preferred to negotiate with the U.S. as a group.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer this week will hold “exploratory talks” with his African counterparts about developing a blueprint for a “model” bilateral free trade agreement that can be in place when the African Growth and Opportunity Act is set to expire, in 2025, a USTR official said Monday.

The U.S. is eager to forge “more advanced trade arrangements” in Africa to ensure exporters are not squeezed out of growing markets, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative says in a new report.

“Some nations are acting to seize opportunities, recognizing the potential payoff merits a massive political and financial investment. By contrast, the U.S. falls further behind in this competition with each passing day.”

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is still in the “early stages” of realizing U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer’s goal of negotiating a “model” free trade agreement with an African country, Deputy USTR C.J. Mahoney said Wednesday.