U.S. presses East African trade opportunities

   U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce Michael Camuñez returned from week-long trip to East Africa to advance a regional trade package proposed by the White House with the East African Community (EAC) as well as the White House Partnership for Growth (PFG) Initiative in Tanzania.
   The proposed regional trade package with the EAC includes, among other things, a regional investment treaty, a trade facilitation agreement, and a commercial dialogue.
   “The East African Community represents enormous long-term potential for U.S. industry, and these proposed initiatives will help significantly accelerate the process of regional integration, making the EAC one of the most important trading blocs in Africa,” Camuñez said.
   The commercial dialogue with the EAC is the fourth such dialogue the United States has established, in addition to Brazil, India and Indonesia, and the only one focused on a regional trading bloc.
   In Arusha, Tanzania, Camuñez met with the EAC secretary general to further advance the regional trade package in anticipation of upcoming African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) meetings. In Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, he also met with Tanzania’s President Kekwete to discuss the country’s progress on the White House Partnership for Growth (PFG) Initiative, a White House-led development initiative.