[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