Ama Dokua and others at 20th AGOA Forum in South Africa

Ghana’s deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah-Adjei has joined several African ministers and US officials in the South African city of Johannesburg for a three-day meeting of the US Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) trade forum.

AGOA is a special US legislation signed into law in 2000, granting duty-free access to nearly 40 sub-Saharan African countries to the US markets.

Asiamah-Adjei, who doubles as the MP for Akuapem North is attending the trade forum with the CEO of Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), Dr Afua Asabea Asare, Mickson Opoku, the head of multilateral, regional and bilateral trade at the Ministry of Trade and Industry and Cynthia Dzokoto, Ghana Trade attaché to Washington DC.

The sub-Saharan countries that qualify for AGOA have to meet certain criteria such as maintaining human rights, respecting core labor standards, and eliminating barriers to US trade and investment among others.

The theme for this year’s summit is “Partnering to Build a Resilient, Sustainable, and Inclusive AGOA to Support Economic Development, Industrialization and Quality Job Creation.”

The African leaders at the summit are expected to lobby US envoys to extend the AGOA tenure that expires in 2025.

The meeting is also expected to discuss promoting inclusive economic growth and supply chain resilience on both sides of the Atlantic.

Source: Daily Mail GH