[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 171 (Saturday, November 22, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2413]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     ON INTRODUCTION OF THE AFRICAN GROWTH AND OPPORUTNITY ACT III

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 21, 2003

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, Today, I am proud to join with Congressman 
McDermott, Chairman Royce, Congressman Jefferson, Congressman Payne and 
Congressman Neal in the House, and Senator Lugar in the Senate, in 
introducing legislation to begin the third phase of the African Growth 
and Opportunity Act.
  It has been almost ten years since a bipartisan group of Members came 
together to help create a trade and investment framework between our 
great country and the countries of sub-Saharan Africa.
  It has been more than three years since the first phase of that 
effort became law.
  In that short time, the results have been impressive:
  In three years, AGOA textile and apparel exports to the United States 
have doubled, rising from $570 million in 1999 to $1.1 billion for 
2002. This total comprises 9 percent of all AGOA exports.
  AGOA exports now comprise approximately two percent of all U.S. 
textile and apparel imports--a 100 percent increase from 2000, when 
AGOA took effect.
  Africa's 92 percent export growth rate in textile and apparel 
products is 10 times that for China, Latin America, Europe and other 
major textile and apparel exporters.
  However, we cannot afford to sit back and admire what we have done. 
So much remains to be done to fulfill the promise of this important 
legislation and this important trade program--to fill in the gaps that 
still exist.
  So, today, I join with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to 
call upon the House, the Senate and the President to take the next 
important step to broaden and deepen the commercial and bilateral 
relationships between the United States and African countries.
  We need to ensure that the benefits of AGOA
  We need to do this for so many reasons--bringing Africa more and more 
into the mainstream of the world trading system, strengthening the 
bilateral ties between the United States and African countries, giving 
women and men in the poorest countries in the world the chance to earn 
a fair and decent living so that the seeds of growth and a better life 
and a middle class society are sewn, rather than the seeds of 
discontent that we see in some other regions of the world.
  To do this, we need to push forward. Specifically, we need to extend 
the effective date of AGOA, extend the ability of AGOA least developed 
countries to use fabrics from third countries, and bring under the AGOA 
framework the important agricultural products that many countries in 
the region seek to produce and export.
  In the agriculture area, Africa's exports have actually decreased by 
4.5 percent (or $25 million) since 1999. While duty free treatment will 
not completely solve the problem caused in part by large domestic 
support programs in the EU and elsewhere, this step will certainly 
help.
  In other areas, the bill encourages both responsible conservation and 
responsible development through a provision in support of eco-tourism, 
an area where many African countries have an important natural and 
comparative advantage that they are seeking to use in a sustainable and 
responsible way.
  I look forward to working with many others on both sides of the aisle 
who have been so supportive of AGOA I and AGOA II, particularly 
Chairman Bill Thomas and Chairman Phil Crane of the Trade Subcommittee, 
Congressman Amo Houghton in the House, and Senator Bill Frist and 
others in the Senate, along with the distinguished African Diplomatic 
Corps, and so many in the business community to realize our goal.
  Finally, we intend this bill to be a starting point, and that as we 
move forward, we can work with Ambassador Zoellick and his staff, and 
Secretary Evans and his staff, to improve the legislation to reflect 
best the development needs of sub-Saharan Africa.
  Also hope we can work together on other initiatives to ensure that 
the poorest countries of the world--such as Haiti and Bangladesh and 
Cambodia--are not left behind after 2005.

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