Africa

USTR's Office of African Affairs develops and coordinates U.S. trade and investment policy for the 48 countries of sub-Saharan Africa. It leads the negotiation and implementation of U.S. trade and investment policies and objectives in the region. The Administration seeks both to expand markets for U.S. goods and services in sub-Saharan Africa and to facilitate efforts to bolster African economic development through increased global, regional, and bilateral trade. Sub-Saharan Africa presents many opportunities for U.S. businesses as an emerging market for American exports. Between 2000 and 2010, six of the ten fastest-growing economies in the world were in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Africa Office oversees implementation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a preference program enacted in 2000 that is at the center of U.S.-African engagement on trade and investment. By providing duty-free entry into the United States for almost all African products, AGOA has helped expand and diversify African exports to the United States, while at the same time fostering an improved business environment in many African countries through eligibility requirements. As of June 2011, 37 sub-Saharan African countries qualified for AGOA benefits. The Africa Office works closely with other U.S. agencies, such as USAID, to help eligible African countries make the most of AGOA's trade benefits. This includes supporting the work of the Regional Trade Hubs in Accra, Ghana (with a satellite office in Dakar, Senegal); Gaborone, Botswana; and Nairobi, Kenya.

The Africa Office also leads U.S. Government interagency engagement with sub-Saharan African partners on trade and investment issues, including under our eleven trade and investment framework agreements (TIFAs) with sub-Saharan African countries and regional economic organizations. The United States also has a Trade, Investment, and Development Cooperative Agreement with the five countries of the Southern African Customs Union (Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland) and bilateral investment treaties (BITs) with six sub-Saharan African partners.

The Africa Office maintains an ongoing dialogue with sub-Saharan African countries on issues related to the WTO Doha negotiations. It also works closely with other Africa trade policy stakeholders, including Members of Congress (testimony on U.S.-Africa Relations), the African and American private sectors, and civil society in the United States and sub-Saharan Africa.

U.S.-Sub-Saharan Trade Data

Exports

U.S. merchandise exports to sub-Saharan Africa during 2010 were $17.1 billion, up 12% compared to 2009.

Top U.S. export markets were South Africa ($5.6 billion; mainly machinery, vehicles and parts, non-crude oil), Nigeria ($4.0 billion; mainly vehicles and parts, cereals, machinery), Angola ($1.2 billion; mainly machinery, poultry, iron and steel), Ghana ($982 million; mainly non-crude oil, machinery, vehicles and parts), and Ethiopia ($764 million; mainly aircraft and parts, cereals, machinery).

Top export categories were machinery ($3.5 billion; up 2.3%), vehicles and parts ($2.5 billion; up 21%), non-crude oil ($1.4 billion; up 28%); cereals ($1.3 billion; up 14%); and aircraft and parts ($1.1 billion; up 0.9%).

Imports

U.S. merchandise imports from sub-Saharan Africa during 2010 were $65.0 billion, up 38% compared to 2009.

Top U.S. import suppliers were Nigeria ($30.5 billion; mainly crude oil), Angola ($11.9 billion; mainly crude oil), South Africa ($8.2 billion; mainly precious stones and metals, vehicles and parts, iron and steel), Republic of Congo ($3.3 billion; mainly crude oil), and Equatorial Guinea ($2.2 billion; mainly crude oil).

Top import categories were crude oil ($52.9 billion; up 40%), precious stones and metals ($3.9 billion; up 58%), vehicles and parts ($1.6 billion; up 11%), cocoa products ($1.0 billion; up 31%) and apparel ($790.4 million; down 14%).

AGOA

AGOA imports (including GSP) during 2010 totaled $44.2 billion, up 31% compared to 2009. During this period, non-oil AGOA imports totaled $4.0 billion, up by 18%.

Top AGOA import suppliers were Nigeria ($25.1 billion; mainly crude oil), Angola ($9.8 billion; mainly crude oil), South Africa ($3.1 billion; mainly vehicles and parts, iron and steel, fruits and nuts), Republic of Congo ($1.9 billion; mainly crude oil) and Chad ($1.6 billion; mainly crude oil).

Leading AGOA import categories were crude oil ($40.2 billion; up 32%), transportation equipment ($1.6 billion; up 15%), minerals and metals ($794 million; up 93%), textiles and apparel ($730 million; down 20%) and agricultural products ($418 million; up 44%).

Top U.S. import suppliers of non-petroleum AGOA imports were South Africa ($3.1 billion; mainly vehicles and parts, iron and steel, fruits and nuts), Lesotho ($280 million; mainly apparel), Kenya ($225 million; mainly apparel, fruit and nuts, cut flowers), Mauritius ($128 million; mainly apparel, sugar, sunglasses), and Swaziland ($111 million; mainly apparel, sugar, vegetables).