[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 73 (Tuesday, April 16, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Page 22516]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-08837]



[[Page 22516]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


Notice of Request for Stakeholder Comments on Doing Business in 
Africa Campaign

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY: The International Trade Administration (ITA) of the U.S. 
Department of Commerce seeks comments on key stakeholder priorities to 
be considered in the development and implementation of an initiative to 
increase U.S. exports to and commercial ties with Africa, the Doing 
Business in Africa campaign (DBIA campaign), to be led by the 
Department of Commerce in coordination with the Trade Promotion 
Coordinating Committee (TPCC). The DBIA campaign was announced on 
November 28, 2012, in Johannesburg, South Africa, and will advance the 
goals of the ``U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa,'' (Strategy) 
issued by President Barack Obama June 14, 2012. ITA, in coordination 
with the TPCC, will consider the information received in response to 
this notice in developing the DBIA campaign.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 3, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Electronic comments are preferred and may be sent to: 
[email protected]. Written comments may be sent to: Michael 
Masserman, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., Suite 31027, International 
Trade Administration, Washington, DC 20230. Comments should include a 
reference to this Federal Register notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Masserman, Executive Director 
for Export Policy, Promotion and Strategy, 1401 Constitution Avenue 
NW., Suite 31027, International Trade Administration, Washington, DC 
20230, [email protected], (202) 482-5455.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Strategy sets out the goal of 
encouraging U.S. companies to trade with and invest in sub-Saharan 
Africa, including through the development of a Doing Business in Africa 
campaign, which will also help advance the President's National Export 
Initiative. The Doing Business in Africa campaign will harness the 
resources of the Federal Government to assist U.S. businesses in 
identifying and seizing opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa and will 
engage with members of the sub-Saharan African Diaspora in the United 
States.
    Federal agencies will work to encourage U.S. companies--with a 
focus on small- and medium-sized businesses and African Diaspora-owned 
businesses--to trade with and invest in Africa through: (1) Targeted 
partnerships to promote trade with sub-Saharan Africa, including the 
planned launch later this year of an Africa Global Business Summit 
Series which will allow U.S. companies to hear directly from U.S. 
Ambassadors and Senior Commercial Officers about opportunities in the 
region; (2) Expanded trade promotion programs tailored toward Africa, 
including targeted trade missions to sub-Saharan countries and enhanced 
International Buyer Program (IBP) events to bring more African buyer 
delegations to the United States; (3) Providing enhanced Africa-focused 
export counseling to U.S. businesses as a result of enhanced training 
of federal trade specialists who work with businesses across the United 
States every day on the specific challenges and opportunities in 
Africa; and (4) The development of a dedicated online Africa Business 
Portal which will direct U.S. businesses to the federal resources they 
need to succeed in African markets and presenting export and other 
commercial opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa.
    The Obama Administration has recognized that financing assistance 
is vital to increasing trade and commercial ties with sub-Saharan 
Africa. As part of the DBIA campaign, agencies including the Overseas 
Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im Bank), 
and U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) will build upon current 
efforts, specifically by: (1) Opening the U.S.-Africa Clean Energy 
Development and Finance Center in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2013 to 
provide the U.S. private sector, as well as sub-Saharan African 
developers, with a centralized means to identify and access U.S. 
government support for clean energy export and investment needs; (2) 
Advancing the recently announced U.S.-Africa Clean Energy Finance 
(ACEF) Initiative, a $20 million collaborative financing mechanism 
developed by the State Department, OPIC, and USTDA to increase support 
for U.S. businesses and exporters in sub-Saharan Africa's clean energy 
sector; and (3) Enhancing Ex-Im Bank initiatives, including the Ex-Im 
Bank's efforts to advance the South African government's South African 
Renewable Initiative through assistance in financing up to $2 billion 
in U.S. technologies, products and services to strengthen South 
Africa's energy sector.
    The International Trade Administration is seeking comments on the 
following topics to aid in further structuring the Doing Business in 
Africa campaign, which will be led by the Department of Commerce in 
coordination with the TPCC:
    (1) How can the Federal Government help U.S. businesses both 
identify and seize upon trade and investment opportunities in sub-
Saharan Africa?
    a. What metric(s) should be used to measure progress?
    (2) How can the Federal Government partner with nonprofit 
organizations, industry associations, local and state governments, and 
other organizations to help U.S. businesses both identify and seize 
upon trade and investment opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa?
    a. In the short term?
    b. Over the next five years?
    (3) How can the Federal Government encourage small- and medium-
sized businesses and African Diaspora-owned businesses to trade with 
and invest in sub-Saharan Africa?
    (4) If you have experience doing business in Africa, how would you 
characterize that experience? Did you receive Federal Government 
assistance, for example from the U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service, and 
how would you rate that service?
    (5) In your experience, what country and sector opportunities 
should the Federal Government highlight within the African market? If 
applicable, please provide information on why you have selected these 
country and sector opportunities for highlighting by the Federal 
Government.
    (6) What information could the Federal Government provide about 
trade and commercial opportunities in Africa that would be the most 
helpful, and how would you like to receive or access that information?
    (7) What major Africa trade- and/or commerce-focused events does 
your organization plan to attend or host in 2013?
    The U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa is available at: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-02-14/pdf/2012-3400.pdf. More 
information on the Doing Business in Africa Campaign is available at 
http://export.gov/africa/.
    The Department of Commerce anticipates a continuing need for input 
on the Doing Business in Africa campaign. Please feel free to contact 
[email protected] to provide advice and input on the Doing Business 
in Africa campaign even after the close of the comment period.

    Dated: April 10, 2013.
Frank Spector,
Trade Missions Program.
[FR Doc. 2013-08837 Filed 4-15-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-FP-P