[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 104 (Wednesday, June 14, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E559-E560]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF TANZANIA AND DOING BUSINESS IN SUB-
                             SAHARAN AFRICA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TROY A. CARTER

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 14, 2023

  Mr. CARTER of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
recent successes in doing business in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as 
the potential for future success in the region. Recently, I joined a 
host of state, local elected officials, business and community leaders 
in my hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana, in coming together to 
celebrate the historic launch of TanzaNutz, the first cashew nuts 
grown, harvested and consumer packaged in Tanzania being exported 
directly for the first time from farmers in Tanzania to the U.S. 
marketplace. The inaugural seven-ton shipment departed the East Africa 
port city, Dar es Salaam, and landed in the U.S. on Friday, November 4, 
2022, with all shipments arriving through the Port of New Orleans.
  In celebration of establishing a sister city partner and bilateral 
trade agreement, this momentous occasion signals the beginning of a 
robust business relationship between the United Republic of Tanzania, 
East Africa, and United States of America, in the City of New Orleans, 
Louisiana. Known as the Crescent City, New Orleans was the first major 
market to launch TanzaNutz. In addition, the U.S. Department of 
Commerce works closely in presenting business opportunities in Africa. 
There are eight markets including Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, 
Tanzania, Mozambique, Angola and Ethiopia represented with these 
business opportunities. Africa produces 60 percent of the World's 
cashew nuts and the U.S. is the largest importer of cashew nuts in the 
world. I was proud to join a Congressional Delegation trip (CODEL) to 
Tanzania and several other African nations with House Foreign Affairs 
Chairman, Jeffrey Meeks, exploring the growth of future export and 
trade opportunities, considered sub-Saharan Africa.
  Tanzania is the fourth biggest producer of cashew nuts (Anacardium 
occidentale) in Africa and the eighth globally. Indeed, 20 percent of 
all cashews on the continent come from the country behind Nigeria, 
Ivory Coast and Guinea. The most extensive cultivation belt is along 
the coastline in the south of the country. Most farmers are 
smallholders, and they process their seeds through cooperative 
societies. Their source of income is mainly the export of the crop 
across the Indian Ocean. India imports almost all the cashews from the 
country. Tanzania generates up to 15 percent of its total foreign 
exchange from this leguminous fruit.
  In appearance, the cashew fruit is dual. It has an apple fruit on top 
that sequesters a small, curved nut's shell at its end. Though the 
apple makes other culinary products, it is the small nut that measures 
about 1.5 inches across that is important. It is the chief source of 
cashew nut oil.
  One of the principal reasons for poverty in Africa and the 
underperformance of African economies, is the export of Africa's raw 
materials at the lowest prices, into the global market, unrefined, 
without value additive processing taking place in Africa prior to 
export. The Congressional Black Caucus strongly supports and advocates 
for public and private sector policies and practices to reverse this 
traditional exploitative paradigm in cooperation with the Nations of 
Africa. The Congressional Black Caucus desires to build on plans and 
programs advanced by the Biden Administration and African Nations at 
the recent U.S.-Africa Leaders' Summit, designed to encourage greater 
economic self-sufficiency for Africa and cultivate a stronger trading 
and investing partner with the United States, and globally.
  The Congressional Black Caucus unanimously approved the Tanzania Nut 
Resolution on Wednesday, June 7th. The Congressional Black Caucus 
endorses and supports the application of value additive processes 
taking place in the cashew markets in Tanzania, and the rest of the 
nations of Africa, with the aim of building agricultural product 
processing plants in Africa; creating millions of fair paying, safer 
jobs with fringe benefits for African workers; generating stable and 
more profitable outcomes for Africa's cashew farmers; partnering with 
African cashew businesses and boosting African economies across the 
board, while ending exploitative practices like commodity brokering, 
low cashew sales, and urging the end of such practices throughout the 
rest of the African agricultural sector.
  The Congressional Black Caucus further supports the creation of large 
investment returns for Africans, Africans in the Diaspora, and friends 
of Africa's economic development and the stimulation of trade growth 
between Africa and the U.S. All such ways that honor

[[Page E560]]

the Congressional Black Caucus' collective vision for honorable 
prosperity for Africans, African Americans, and the American public in 
partnership and unity with Africa.
  The Congressional Black Caucus commends Ward Holdings International 
for its leadership and innovation, in cooperation with the Nation of 
Tanzania and other African Nations, to strengthen the economies of 
these nations from within and to assist them in adopting and applying 
value-adding processes to their agricultural crops. By this resolution, 
we encourage like-minded companies to emulate and deliberately engage 
in ushering in a new dynamic of African and African American 
empowerment and partnership that signals tangible progress toward 
overcoming the sordid history of African peoples deliberately imposed 
disempowerment and disunity.
  The Congressional Black Caucus believes that now is the time for all 
in the African Diaspora to make an equal commitment toward building 
Africa together. We declare that a strengthened Africa is a 
strengthened African Diaspora.
  The U.S. is the world's leading importer of cashews--a growing 
industry. It's a mutually beneficial decision for our city to be the 
doorway for TanzaNutz to join the market under fair and profitable 
practices in the region of sub-Saharan Africa. TanzaNutz is an exciting 
addition to the New Orleans import family, and I'm thrilled to have 
played a role in welcoming you here. I'm committed to strong advocacy 
for New Orleans' economic development, and to continue to foster a 
mutually beneficial relationship with our neighbors in Tanzania.

                          ____________________