3.0.0 1900 2023-01-15T09:03:29Z 2023-01-15T09:03:29Z Senate S S 2003-11-20 108 ssfr00 Foreign Relations Committee Senate Standing Hearings by 2004-03-25T20:12:10Z ssfi00 Finance Committee Senate Standing Referred to 2003-11-20T19:49:07Z 2004-03-25 ssfr00 Foreign Relations Committee Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 108-512. Committee 2003-11-20 ssfi00 Finance Committee Senate Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. IntroReferral 2003-11-20 Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S15289-15290) IntroReferral B00100 9 Library of Congress 2003-11-20 Introduced in Senate IntroReferral 10000 9 Library of Congress L000504 Sen. Lugar, Richard G. [R-IN] RICHARD LUGAR R IN GREEN N H001028 Sen. Hagel, Chuck [R-NE] CHUCK HAGEL R NE 2004-02-12 False F000442 Sen. Fitzgerald, Peter [R-IL] PETER FITZGERALD R IL 2004-02-12 False D000294 Sen. DeWine, Mike [R-OH] MICHAEL DEWINE R OH 2004-03-10 False S000059 Sen. Santorum, Rick [R-PA] RICK SANTORUM R PA 2004-04-26 False L000304 Sen. Lieberman, Joseph I. [D-CT] JOSEPH LIEBERMAN D CT I. 2004-04-29 False M000303 Sen. McCain, John [R-AZ] JOHN MCCAIN R AZ SIDNEY 2004-05-10 False S001078 Sen. Sununu, John E. [R-NH] John Sununu R NH E. 2004-05-19 False A000360 Sen. Alexander, Lamar [R-TN] Lamar Alexander R TN 2004-05-19 False M001111 Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA] Patty Murray D WA 2004-06-03 False L000550 Sen. Landrieu, Mary L. [D-LA] MARY LANDRIEU D LA 2004-06-08 False C001041 Sen. Clinton, Hillary Rodham [D-NY] HILLARY CLINTON D NY R 2004-06-14 False L000261 Sen. Levin, Carl [D-MI] CARL LEVIN D MI MILTON 2004-06-16 False N000032 Sen. Nelson, Bill [D-FL] CLARENCE NELSON D FL WILLIAM 2004-06-23 False Foreign Trade and International Finance Administrative procedure Africa Africa (Sub-Saharan) Agribusiness Agricultural assistance Agricultural cooperatives Agricultural extension work Agricultural industries Agricultural research Agriculture and Food Agriculture in foreign trade Air cargo Airports American investments Aviation safety Botswana Capital movements Clothing Commerce Conferences Congress Congress and foreign policy Congressional reporting requirements Customs administration Developing countries Economic assistance Economic development Economic growth Electronics Energy Energy industries Entrepreneurs Environmental Protection Executive reorganization Export finance Export-Import Bank of the United States Exports Federally-guaranteed loans Finance and Financial Sector Food safety Foreign service Foreign trade promotion Freight forwarders Government Operations and Politics Government corporations Governmental investigations Harbors Housing and Community Development Import relief Imports Income tax Information technology Infrastructure Infrastructure (Economics) Inland water transportation International Affairs Investment guaranty insurance Marine safety Marine transportation Namibia Nongovernmental organizations Pest control Plant diseases President and foreign policy Railroad engineering Road construction Rural economic development Science, Technology, Communications Small business Tariff Tariff agreements Tariff preferences Tax administration Tax treaties Taxation Technical assistance Telecommunication industry Textile fabrics Trade agreements Trade negotiations Transportation and Public Works Transportation rates Women Women in business Foreign Trade and International Finance 00 2003-11-20 Introduced in Senate 2004-03-23T21:49:13Z United States-Africa Partnership Act of 2003 - Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to repeal the requirement that certain non-apparel articles that are the growth, product, or manufacture of a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country (SSA country) under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) shall receive duty-free treatment only if the President determines that they are not import-sensitive in the context of imports from such countries.

Extends duty-free treatment for AGOA articles from FY 2008 through FY 2015.

Amends AGOA to revise requirements for textile and apparel products from SSA countries receiving duty-free and other preferential import treatment. Permits certain articles to contain fabric or yarn not originating from an SSA country or the United States (third country fabric), regardless of commercial availability in the United States. Extends through FY 2008 the current special rule for lesser developed SSA countries.

Extends duty-free treatment to ethnic printed fabric of an SSA country meeting certain criteria.

Amends AGOA to direct the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) to develop a comprehensive plan for public policies and incentives for the private sector to: (1) identify SSA products that can be exported to the United States; (2) analyze critical constraints to U.S.-Africa agricultural trade; and (3) develop a strategy for increasing such SSA agricultural exports.

Requires the President and the Secretary to direct the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to evaluate methods for training African agricultural producers and for implementing capacity building programs to help the producers meet U.S. food safety standards. Directs the President to assign at least 20 full-time APHIS personnel to at least ten eligible SSA countries with the greatest: (1) potential to increase marketable exports of agricultural products to the United States; and (2) need for technical training and capacity building in meeting phytosanitary standards for such products.

Amends AGOA to condition the President's termination of the designation of an SSA country upon Congress' not prohibiting it.

Requires the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) to focus funding on investments in agribusiness, electronics, textiles, and apparel.

Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to waive certains prohibitions against OPIC issuance of any contract of insurance or reinsurance, guaranty, or agreement to provide financing for an eligible investor's proposed investment in an SSA country even if such investment is likely to cause a significant reduction in the number of employees in the United States.

Amends the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 to require the Bank to implement regulations and procedures appropriate to ensure that full consideration is given to the extent to which any credit extension is likely to have a positive effect on industries, including the textile and apparel industry and agricultural production, in SSA countries.

Requires the Secretary to direct the Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) to work with national African agricultural organizations to identify agricultural equipment and supply needs and implement programs that strengthen the ability of members of African agricultural organizations to fulfill these needs in conjunction with export credit guarantee programs.

States the sense of Congress that USAID, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank), and the African Development Bank, should continue to provide technical assistance to SSA countries in tax policy and revenue administration.

Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to seek negotiations with those SSA countries which the Secretary determines will benefit most from an income tax treaty with the United States to avoid double taxation.

Directs the USAID Administrator to study the economy of each SSA country, identifying growth sectors and barriers impeding growth, as well as how the U.S. Government and the private sector can provide technical assistance to help dismantle such barriers and promote investment in such sectors.

Directs the President to develop and implement policies to encourage, and assist with, investment in transportation, energy, agriculture, and telecommunications infrastructure in SSA countries.

Directs the USAID Administrator to foster specified port-to-port and airport-to-airport relationships.

Directs the President to assemble an interagency task force to facilitate the goals and objectives of this Act.

Authorizes the USTR to provide grants to U.S. nongovernmental organizations and to U.S. representatives of the private sector to host AGAO forums.

]]> United States-Africa Partnership Act of 2003 Display Title United States-Africa Partnership Act of 2003 Official Title as Introduced A bill to amend the African Growth and Opportunity Act to expand certain trade benefits to eligible sub-Saharan African countries, and for other purposes. Introduced in Senate IS Short Titles as Introduced United States-Africa Partnership Act of 2003 Introduced in Senate 2003-11-20T05:00:00Z 2004-03-25 Committee on Foreign Relations. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 108-512. text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress This file contains bill summaries and statuses for federal legislation. A bill summary describes the most significant provisions of a piece of legislation and details the effects the legislative text may have on current law and federal programs. Bill summaries are authored by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) of the Library of Congress. As stated in Public Law 91-510 (2 USC 166 (d)(6)), one of the duties of CRS is "to prepare summaries and digests of bills and resolutions of a public general nature introduced in the Senate or House of Representatives". For more information, refer to the User Guide that accompanies this file.