USITC to Study U.S. Trade and Investment with Sub-Saharan Africa

On November 17, 2017, the U.S. International Trade Commission ("USITC") announced it has launched an investigation to examine U.S. trade in goods and services and investment in Sub-Saharan Africa ("SSA").

The investigation, U.S. Trade and Investment with Sub-Saharan Africa: Recent Developments, was requested by the United States Trade Representative (USTR) in a letter received on October 23, 2017.

As requested, the USITC, an independent, nonpartisan, factfinding federal agency, will:

• provide an overview of U.S. exports to and imports from SSA of goods and services, identifying the sectors and countries in which U.S. exports and imports have increased the most, in both value and percentage terms, and the principal factors behind such growth;
• provide profiles of seven SSA economies -- Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, and South Africa -- describing these countries' macroeconomic environment, and trade flows and foreign direct investment (FDI) with the United States;
• provide a summary of recent developments in regional integration efforts in SSA, including progress on negotiations of the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA);
• describe U.S. imports of goods from SSA countries under the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA), as well as summarize strategies by AGOA countries to increase trade with the United States;
• perform a qualitative and, to the extent possible, quantitative assessment of the non-crude petroleum sectors and SSA markets that present the greatest potential for growth in U.S. exports and imports of goods and services, as well as FDI flows; and
• discuss exports of goods and services from U.S. small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to SSA and the challenges faced by U.S. SMEs exporting to the region.

The USITC expects to deliver the report to USTR by April 30, 2018.

The USITC will hold a public hearing in connection with the investigation on January 23, 2018. Requests to appear at the hearing should be filed no later than 5:15 p.m. on January 9, 2018, with the Secretary, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street, SW, Washington, DC 20436. For further information, call 202-205-2000.