Program helps Mozambique export cashews to U.S.

Program helps Mozambique export cashews to U.S.    The U.S. Agency for International Development recently announced that Mozambique has initiated a newly branded Zambique cashew nut for export to the United States and other overseas markets.
   The introduction of African products to the U.S. market is part of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). In July 2004, President Bush signed into law the AGOA Acceleration Act, which extends duty-free access to the United States through 2015 for nearly all African exports.
   Through the Bush administration’s Trade for African Development and Enterprise (TRADE) Initiative, USAID manages three regional “Hubs for Global Competitiveness” in southern, eastern, and western Africa to improve public services that support trade, build African capacity for trade policy, and strengthen the environment for African shippers.
   AGOA eligible Mozambique falls under the Southern Africa Trade Hub in Botswana, which has provided AGOA training to more than 250 small and mid-sized businesses in Mozambique, Botswana and Malawi. These seminars improve understanding of U.S. market requirements, USAID said.