On Friday, June 10, Ambassador Kirk joined Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for the Ministerial Closing Ceremony of the Forum, followed by a dinner hosted by President Banda at the State House. At both events, he expressed his gratitude to President Banda and the Zambian government for welcoming him and the rest of the U.S. delegation to Zambia and for the excellent job Zambia did in hosting the 10th AGOA Forum.
He then concluded his trip by joining Secretary Clinton for a ceremony marking the launch of the first-ever Zambian-American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham). Among the more than 20 charter members of the chapter are Citibank, Cargill, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Freeport McMoran, Pioneer-Dupont, and Microsoft. This new AmCham will compliment the work of the newly-formed U.S.-Zambia Working Group on Bilateral Trade and AGOA, and encourage mutually beneficial U.S.-Zambia joint ventures.
"I want to commend the U.S. Embassy in Zambia for its work to coordinate the AmCham affiliation that makes this launch possible," said Ambassador Kirk. "The new Zambian AmCham will be an advocate for increasing trade and investment in Zambia and encouraging economic growth."
AGOA was enacted by Congress in 2000. It serves as a cornerstone for U.S. economic engagement with Sub-Saharan African nations and encourages the growth of their economies. AGOA allows duty-free access for African exports, covering ninety-eight percent of the products the 37 eligible African countries send to the U.S market.
This year marks the 10th annual meeting of the AGOA Forum, which brings together hundreds of U.S. and sub-Saharan African government officials, as well as the African and American private sector and members of the public. The 2011 Forum's theme was “Enhanced Trade through Increased Competitiveness, Value Addition and Deeper Regional Integration.” Ambassador Kirk and Secretary Clinton led the U.S. delegation to the Forum. Other representatives from the U.S. included senior officials from various federal government agencies including USTR, the Departments of State, Commerce, Treasury, Transportation and Agriculture, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the African Development Foundation and Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).
United States Trade Representative
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