Emergency Committee For American Trade - Publications

ECAT 2008 AGENDA

SECTION I.2: SUMMARY OF ECAT’S POSITIONS ON THE ISSUES

The following paragraphs provide a summary of ECAT’s positions on the major trade, investment, and tax issues likely to be of greatest concern to ECAT member companies.

PART II: INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND INVESTMENT NEGOTIATIONS

Section 1: World Trade Organization

Doha Development Agenda Negotiations: ECAT strongly supports conclusion of a comprehensive and commercially meaningful Doha Development Agenda covering agriculture, services, industrial tariffs and other issues to expand market-access opportunities and reduce and ultimately eliminate barriers across all sectors. ECAT also supports efforts to ensure that WTO provisions are developed and applied in a manner that eliminates barriers to and supports the growth of information technology and digitally delivered goods and services. In particular, ECAT supports:

the substantial reduction and elimination of tariffs, non-tariff barriers, and export subsidies in agriculture, industrial products and services;
the adoption of a binding WTO agreement on trade facilitation, based on the rules contained in the World Customs Organization’s Revised International Convention on the Simplification and Harmonization of Customs Procedures (Revised Kyoto Convention), a work program on trade facilitation, and a commitment to simplify rules of origin;
efforts to reform the WTO dispute-settlement system to make it more transparent and make it function more effectively;
reforms of antidumping and countervailing duty rules in a manner that promotes balance between the interests of the petitioning industry and the interests of other U.S. industries and consumers so that trade-remedy actions cannot be misused as trade barriers to unfairly block U.S. exports; and
increased commitments by WTO members to the Government Procurement Agreement and adoption of reforms of that agreement negotiated in 2006.

Implementation of WTO Agreements: Full implementation of WTO agreements is the cornerstone of the multilateral trading system and must remain a top priority on the WTO agenda. The United States should continue to insist that all WTO Members implement the WTO Agreements in a timely and comprehensive manner. Technical assistance and assistance for capacity building are important tools to help advance the United States’ implementation goals. Developing-country concerns regarding implementation should be addressed through increased technical assistance and not become the pretext for renegotiating existing WTO agreements. ECAT urges the Administration to oppose efforts to reopen the TRIPS, TRIMs, or other agreements or to delay further their implementation.

WTO Dispute Settlement: ECAT believes that the WTO dispute-settlement mechanism has been effective in resolving many disputes, but has had difficulty in addressing a few highly political disputes, particularly those between the United States and EU. ECAT supports efforts by the United States and EU to address these issues quickly and in a trade-liberalizing manner.

ECAT does not believe that the formation of a body to review WTO decisions adverse to the United States is either necessary or appropriate. If established, any such mechanism should require a review of all relevant cases, not just those adverse to the United States, include only members who are impartial and experts in trade and international law, and provide a thorough, objective and non-political review of WTO cases.

Section 2: Major Free Trade Agreement Negotiations

U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement: ECAT strongly supports Congressional approval and implementation of the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement this year, which will expand economic opportunities for U.S. farmers, manufacturers, service providers and investors.

U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement: ECAT strongly supports Congressional approval and implementation of the U.S. Panama Trade Promotion Agreement and its full implementation this year, which will expand economic opportunities for U.S. farmers, manufacturers, service providers and investors.

U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement: ECAT strongly supports Congressional approval of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement and implementation this year, which will expand economic opportunities for U.S. farmers, manufacturers, service providers and investors.

Implementation of the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement: ECAT supports full implementation and the entry-into-force of the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement in a manner that will promote market access and strong rules, including on investment, intellectual-property protection and transparency.

Implementation of the U.S-Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR): ECAT strongly supports the entry-into-force of CAFTA-DR with Costa Rica this year and the full implementation of CAFTA-DR by each of the partner countries in a manner that will promote market access and strong rules, including on investment, intellectual-property protection and transparency.

Implementation of the U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement: ECAT supports full implementation and the entry-into-force of the U.S.-Oman FTA in a manner that will promote market access and strong rules, including on investment, intellectual-property protection and transparency.

U.S.-Malaysia Free Trade Agreement Negotiations: ECAT supports the timely completion and implementation of a comprehensive, high-standard and commercially meaningful U.S.-Malaysia FTA that will eliminate tariffs and customs and other non-tariff barriers, further liberalize trade and investment and strengthen disciplines on intellectual property, investment, government procurement and transparency.

P-4 Negotiations: ECAT welcomes the United States’ participation in the investment and financial-services negotiations with Singapore, Chile, Brunei and New Zealand (P-4) and the United States’ exploration of the broader P-4 Trans-Pacific Economic Partnership Agreement, including how the United States could open out from its own comprehensive and high-standard agreements with Singapore and Chile to the other P-4 countries. ECAT supports work that will lead to strong protections and market-opening.

Other Free Trade Agreement Negotiations: ECAT supports the completion and implementation of comprehensive, high-standard and commercially meaningful free trade agreements with the Southern Africa Customs Union, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates that will further liberalize trade and investment, eliminate tariffs and customs and other non-tariff barriers and strengthen disciplines on intellectual property, investment, government procurement and transparency.

Free Trade Area of the Americas Negotiations: ECAT supports significant progress through FTAA negotiations to eliminate barriers to agriculture, goods and services trade and develop strong, comprehensive protections with respect to investment and intellectual property rights that will promote economic growth and development and the rule of law throughout the Western Hemisphere. ECAT also supports further concrete progress in creating a transparent and predictable customs environment in the Western Hemisphere for U.S. exporters and importers.

Section 3: Renewal of Trade-Negotiating Authority

ECAT strongly supports the timely renewal of trade-negotiating authority to enable the United States to continue to negotiate and implement comprehensive, high-standard global, bilateral, sub-regional and regional trade agreements.

Section 4: Russia’s WTO Accession and Permanent Normal Trade Relations

ECAT supports Russia’s continued work to complete its negotiations to accede to the WTO on a commercially strong basis and Russia’s full implementation of the IPR and other commitments it has made bilaterally with the United States as part of the accession process. ECAT supports the President’s authorization of Permanent Normal Trade Relations with Russia when it has completed its accession negotiations, as well as fulfilled its bilateral commitments with the United States. ECAT also supports continued work to promote the rule of law and greater transparency and accountability in the Russian government, as well as to address issues of specific concern in the U.S.-Russia commercial relationship.

PART III: TRADE POLICY ISSUES

Section 1: Investment:

National Security Reviews of Foreign Investment: ECAT supports the full implementation of the Foreign Investment and National Security Act of 2007 to provide for a fact-based and objective national-security investment-review process that focuses on potential national-security threats of proposed transactions.

Investment Protections and Policies: ECAT believes that U.S. trade and international tax policies should recognize the vital importance of U.S. foreign direct investment to U.S. economic growth and should promote the expansion of U.S. trade and investment. ECAT supports, therefore, a strong U.S. negotiating position on investment that promotes market access and investment protections for the benefit of U.S. companies, workers and their families and the U.S. economy. ECAT also strongly seeks the initiation of bilateral investment treaty (BIT) negotiations with major countries, such as China, India, Russia, Brazil and Saudi Arabia.

ECAT recognizes that Congress’ objectives on investment negotiations in the Trade Act of 2002 have been substantially incorporated into new agreements, although ECAT strongly believes that these objectives could more effectively be implemented through provisions providing stronger protections for U.S. investment abroad, particularly with respect to fair and equitable treatment; full protection and security; compensation for expropriation; and full access to arbitration for U.S. financial services institutions, for breaches of existing and future investment agreements and for all U.S. investors with respect to financial services measures. The United States should also refrain from weakening existing agreements or undermining protections already provided in existing BITs.

OECD Policy Framework for Investment: ECAT supports the OECD’s efforts to implement a program to promote the utilization of a strong guidepost for developing countries to spur investment through adopting improved regimes in a number of policy areas, including investment, trade, tax, competition, human resources, governance, infrastructure and financial services.

Section 2: Trade Legislation

Trade Preference Legislation: ECAT supports renewal of the Generalized System of Preferences, the Caribbean Basin Initiative, the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act and other legislation to promote economic development in the developing world and expand trade and investment opportunities for U.S. farmers, manufacturers, service providers and their workers. To be effective, such legislation should provide clear rules on eligibility and a lengthy renewal period to create the type of predictable environment that will foster the economic growth sought. ECAT recognizes and supports the GSP graduation provisions for higher-income countries, but care must be taken not to graduate precipitously developing countries that are just starting to show improvements in development levels. ECAT welcomes and supports efforts to increase the use of the GSP program by least-developed countries, including through expanding the products for which duty-free treatment is available for eligible least-developed countries.

Trade-Remedy Law Reform: It is vitally important that U.S. unfair trade laws, including Section 201 and Section 421 safeguard provisions, maintain – in both the legal provisions and their application – a careful balance between the interests of the petitioning industry and the interests of other U.S. industries and consumers. It is critical that Congress and the Administration oppose any efforts to impose import restraints or amend U.S. antidumping, countervailing duty, or safeguards laws in ways that would invite foreign retaliation, encourage restrictive foreign mirror legislation, and/or violate the United States’ international trade commitments.

U.S. Customs and Border-Protection Issues: ECAT is committed to working with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of the Treasury to help ensure that the restructuring of Customs functions progresses in a manner that fulfills our national security and enforcement goals, while also facilitating the flow of legitimate commercial trade that provides enormous economic benefits to the United States. ECAT strongly supports implementation of the SAFE Ports Act and full funding of the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) from general revenues. ECAT also strongly supports improvements in the operation of CBP, including through full and improved implementation of the Customs Modernization Act and the Customs Procedural Reform and Simplification Act of 1978 in a manner that facilitates trade. ECAT is concerned, however, by the imposition of a technologically infeasible 100-percent cargo-screening requirement by H.R. 1 and CBP’s proposed changes to expand importer/carrier security filings through the 10+2 rule and to overturn U.S. court cases and CBP practice regarding the first-sale rule.

Section 3: Government Procurement

ECAT recognizes the importance of procurement markets around the world operating in on an open, transparent, non-discriminatory, technology-neutral and pro-competitive basis. In particular, ECAT supports the accession of our trading partners, particularly China, Brazil, India, Vietnam, Malaysia and Russia, to the WTO Government Procurement Agreement. ECAT supports as well continued work to improve the WTO Government Procurement Agreement and the ongoing WTO Doha Development Agenda services negotiations to produce more open, non-discriminatory government-procurement markets for services.

ECAT also supports the inclusion of strong government-procurement chapters in bilateral, sub-regional and regional trade agreements to provide new market access, fairness, transparency and procedural guarantees. ECAT also supports continued work by the Administration to enforce effectively existing government-procurement commitments.

As well, ECAT supports the work of APEC in advancing strong government-procurement principles throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

Section 4: Intellectual Property

ECAT recognizes the vital role that innovation and intellectual property play in enhancing the strength of the U.S. economy through creating economic opportunities and jobs for Americans. It is critical, therefore, that the United States seek the inclusion of strong intellectual-property commitments in free trade and other international agreements. ECAT is disappointed by the reduction of strong intellectual-property protections for pharmaceutical products in the Peru, Panama and Colombia trade agreements and urges both Congress and the Administration to consider the highly negative impact such a reduction has on some of America’s most competitive industries and to seek stronger protections in future agreements.

ECAT supports U.S. efforts to secure full implementation of the TRIPS Agreement by insisting on adherence to existing transition deadlines, opposing any moratorium on dispute-settlement cases, and making aggressive use of WTO dispute-settlement procedures to enforce the agreement.

Section 5: Transparency

ECAT strongly supports ongoing and renewed efforts to promote strong transparency provisions in numerous fora and agreements, including the World Trade Organization, U.S. trade agreements, and the APEC Forum, as well as U.S. efforts to ensure that the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials, the OECD Action Statement on Bribery and Officially Supported Export Credits and the Inter-American Convention on Corruption are effectively implemented.

Section 6: Sanctions Reform

ECAT believes that sanctions that do not have multilateral support are generally ineffective and counterproductive. ECAT supports the deliberative and disciplined framework for consideration of unilateral sanctions set out in the sanctions process-reform legislation. ECAT strongly supports the Administration’s multilateral efforts to address nuclear proliferation and other national-security issues, but is concerned by unilateral-sanctions approaches that may be counterproductive to achieving U.S. national-security objectives. ECAT supports further efforts to exempt agricultural, medical and other products from unilateral sanctions. ECAT also supports efforts to terminate existing unilateral sanctions, particularly those with respect to Cuba.

Section 7: Export Promotion and Financing and Development Assistance

Export Promotion and Financing: ECAT supports full funding for the Export-Import Bank and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, which help support the competitiveness of U.S. companies. ECAT also supports full funding for the Trade and Development Agency, which provides important project funding and trade-related technical assistance to developing countries in a manner that helps support U.S. exports. ECAT also supports full funding for the Millennium Challenge Corporation and the multilateral development banks and development funds, as well as efforts to use these organizations to address human capital issues, including health, labor and environmental matters. ECAT continues to work to ensure that World Bank funds are allocated through a transparent, accountable, objective and competitive mechanism.

Section 8: Export Controls

Dual-Use Export-Control Policy: ECAT welcomes the adoption of the Validated End-User program with China and India. ECAT will review carefully the implementation of this new program and support its extension to other key countries and its improvement through provisions providing greater transparency and predictability. ECAT also strongly supports the creation of a streamlined process like the Validated End-User program to authorize a license exception for intra-company transfers of dual-use technologies, including deemed exports.

Deemed-Export Rules: ECAT supports efforts to reform the deemed-export regulatory regime to promote more effectively U.S. national security in a manner that reflects technological and market changes and does not undermine U.S. competitiveness. In particular, ECAT supports efforts to narrow the list of controlled technologies, provide a license exception for intra-company transfers and provide streamlined processes to expedite authorizations for certified entities.

Computer and Software Export Restrictions: ECAT urges Congress to repeal the 1998 National Defense Authorization Act requirements related to computers and give the President the flexibility to develop effective controls in this area, as he has in all other product categories. In the short term, ECAT welcomes the decision of the Wassenaar Arrangement and the Administration to modify the metric for high-performance computers from the outdated MTOPS threshold to the Weighted Teraflop metric.

Encryption: ECAT supports efforts to modernize controls on encryption products to ensure that they appropriately reflect technological and market changes. In particular, ECAT supports efforts to make these procedures more transparent, less burdensome and more focused on encryption products that pose actual national-security risks, rather than covering commercially available software or open source software that is available on the Internet.

Microprocessor Controls: ECAT welcomes the Wassenaar and U.S. decisions to revise microprocessor controls to reflect more accurately technological advances.

Export Administration Act: ECAT companies support continued efforts to renew and modernize export controls in a manner that recognizes technological advances, global availability of certain technologies and the need for predictable, transparent and timely regulatory decisions and recognize that many of the most needed reforms can be accomplished through regulatory revisions. If legislation moves forward to renew the Export Administration Act, it should provide an export-control system that promotes national security and maintains U.S. technological leadership. Whatever path is taken, the revised export-control system should provide for a higher threshold for the imposition of foreign-policy controls, create a new mass-market regulation, ease the ability to obtain foreign-availability determinations, and reduce export-license processing time. The proposed S. 2000 falls far short of the needed reforms.

2008 Export Control Defense Directive: ECAT supports the 2008 Export Control Directive on defense products that will improve national-security protections, while also advancing U.S. technological and industrial competitiveness with our key allies.

Wassenaar Arrangement: ECAT supports continued work through the Wassenaar Arrangement to promote greater coordination and information on country-specific export controls. ECAT recommends that the Wassenaar countries expand their efforts to make export controls more consistent across the Wassenaar membership to achieve greater consistency and uniformity in export controls.

Section 9: Taxation of Foreign Source Income

ECAT strongly supports continued efforts to reform and simplify the international provisions of the Internal Revenue Code with a view to enhance the global competitiveness of U.S. companies. ECAT is concerned that the changes to the international tax provisions proposed by H.R. 3970 will undermine, rather than enhance, U.S. competitiveness. American businesses need a level playing field in order to have a fair chance to succeed. ECAT also strongly supports the bilateral tax-treaty program that promotes greater certainty, the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of discriminatory treatment against U.S. companies.

Section 10: Addressing Concerns about Trade and Investment Liberalization

Global Outsourcing: With economic justification in study-after-study, ECAT strongly supports the global engagement of U.S. companies as a critical component to promoting economic growth and improved living standards at home. Legislative proposals at the state or Federal level to restrict global engagement will undermine the strength of U.S. companies and the capacity of the U.S. economy to support better, high-paying jobs in the United States. Much more important to enhance U.S. competitiveness globally are policies that will help educate America’s youth, train and retrain its workers and provide adjustment assistance.

Reform of Trade Adjustment Assistance Programs: ECAT recognizes that while expanding U.S. international trade and investment raises the U.S. standard of living overall, dislocations occur and must be addressed through public and private worker retraining and assistance programs. ECAT strongly supports efforts to extend and modernize the Trade Adjustment Assistance program to provide the coverage, job training and other assistance needed for U.S. workers, including displaced service workers, and communities to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

Temporary-Entry Issues: ECAT strongly urges U.S. trade negotiators, Members of Congress and the broader business community to expand their efforts to resolve the longstanding stalemate in the treatment of temporary entry in trade and investment negotiations. The existing moratorium on the inclusion of temporary-entry provisions in trade and investment agreements undermines the competitiveness of U.S. companies and the ability of U.S. negotiators to secure the elimination of other countries’ barriers to services and investment.

Labor, Environmental, Food-Trade and Health-Policy Issues: Continued global trade expansion is the bedrock of progress in achieving greater international observance of high labor and environmental standards and in promoting better access to food and health care. Progress on the human side of trade requires that the United States continue its leadership in the multilateral trading system, as well as through creating economic opportunities and strong rules through bilateral and regional trade agreements. At the same time, it is imperative to recognize that trade and investment alone are insufficient to ensure U.S. competitiveness or address the many issues the United States faces internationally. Many other policies are important to promote a competitive workforce, competitive cost structures, and the innovation and leadership that are critical to the United States’ success in the global economy.

PART IV: COUNTRY- AND REGION-SPECIFIC ISSUES

Section 1: China

ECAT supports the full implementation of China’s WTO commitments and other constructive reforms to promote the rule of law and level the playing field for U.S. companies. Of particular importance to ECAT companies are the following issues in the U.S.-China commercial relationship: (1) intellectual property rights, (2) government procurement, (3) industrial policy, (4) financial-services barriers; (5) non-tariff barriers on agriculture, manufactured goods and services; (6) uneven and inadequate transparency, and (7) discriminatory consumption taxes.

ECAT welcomes the constructive and multiple initiatives of the U.S. Trade Representative, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Department of Commerce and other parts of the Administration to promote China’s compliance with its WTO and other commercial commitments, as well as broader reforms in China.

ECAT supports legislative approaches that will improve the U.S.-China economic relationship and create new opportunities for the United States to succeed in China’s market, such as those that are part of the U.S.-China Competitiveness Agenda. A number of legislative proposals made on currency, application of the countervailing duty law, Section 421 safeguards and Internet security (H.R. 275), however, will undermine U.S. success in its relationship with China and several are likely to lead to retaliation against U.S. farm and manufactured goods and U.S. services.

Section 2: European Union

ECAT supports efforts by the United States and the EU to strengthen their economic relationship, including through regulatory cooperation activities and addressing ongoing trade disputes that have undermined the historically close U.S.-EU relationship. In 2008, ECAT also urges the Administration to strengthen its efforts to address U.S. concerns on various policies and other initiatives that undermine or have the potential to undermine access by U.S. companies into the EU or U.S. competitiveness globally, including with respect to agriculture, European aircraft subsidies, the EU’s chemical regulation (Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals regulation (REACH)), and privacy. ECAT welcomes the substantial expansion of air service between the United States and the EU that will result from the U.S.-EU Open Skies Agreement.

Section 3: Western Hemisphere

NAFTA: ECAT finds that NAFTA has produced substantial increases in trade and investment among the United States, Canada and Mexico, in a manner that has promoted significant economic opportunities, increased economic growth and a higher standard of living. ECAT strongly supports the full implementation of NAFTA, including with respect to duty-free, quota-free access for Mexican sugar, which began on January 1, 2008. While not a panacea for all issues in the trilateral relationship, NAFTA has helped promote greater respect for the rule of law and improved cooperation on environmental and labor issues. ECAT also strongly supports work to build upon NAFTA, including the Security and Prosperity Partnership between the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Central America and the Caribbean Basin: ECAT supports U.S. efforts to promote greater economic reform and growth in Central America and the Caribbean Basin. In particular, ECAT supports the renewal and full implementation of the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act and the Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Act in a manner that will promote greater U.S. trade with the Caribbean Basin. ECAT remains concerned that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is interpreting CBTPA in a manner that is not consistent with the legislative intent of the Act. ECAT also supports U.S. efforts to promote a level playing field and transparency in Central America and the Caribbean Basin countries, aiming at improving the business outlook and protecting existing and future investment made by U.S. companies.

Andean Pact: ECAT supports Congressional approval of the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement and the entry-into-force of this agreement and the already approved U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement in a manner that will promote market access and strong rules, including on investment, intellectual-property protection and transparency. Continuation of the Andean Trade Preference and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA) benefits to these countries is important until entry-into-force of these agreements is achieved, but should not be used as an excuse not to move to a fully reciprocal relationship. ECAT also urges continued work to ensure that Ecuador and Bolivia abide by their trade and investment commitments and meet the other eligibility criteria on intellectual property and other issues as required by the ATPDEA.

Section 4: Asia and Asia Pacific

Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum: ECAT supports the APEC forum where work is ongoing to expand trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region. ECAT supports ongoing efforts to promote trade and investment liberalization and trade facilitation, as well as APEC’s transparency programs. ECAT strongly supports concrete work within APEC to implement APEC’s recommendations regarding investment, intellectual-property protection, infrastructure, harmonization of standards for agriculture and food trade (e.g., cooked poultry), and energy. ECAT also supports work to implement the APEC Privacy Framework to achieve a streamlined approach to the recognition of cross-border privacy codes.

U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement: ECAT strongly supports full implementation of the U.S.-Australia FTA and continued work to improve the trade and investment relationship between the United States and Australia.

U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement: ECAT strongly supports full implementation of the U.S.-Singapore FTA and continued work to improve the trade and investment relationship between the United States and Singapore.

Vietnam: ECAT welcomes the important commitments that Vietnam has made in joining the WTO to reduce tariffs, discriminatory policies against foreign entities and other non-tariff barriers, and looks forward to Vietnam’s continuing progress towards full implementation of commitments it made with its WTO accession.

Section 5: Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa

Saudi Arabia: ECAT welcomes the important commitments that Saudi Arabia has made in joining the WTO to reduce tariffs, discriminatory policies against foreign entities and other non-tariff barriers, and looks forward to Saudi Arabia’s continuing progress towards full implementation of commitments it made with its WTO accession.

U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement: ECAT supports full implementation of the U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement in a manner that promotes market access and strong rules, including on intellectual property and transparency.

U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement: ECAT supports full implementation of the U.S.-Morocco FTA in a manner that promotes market access and strong rules, including on investment, intellectual property and transparency.

U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement: ECAT supports full implementation of the U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement in a manner that liberalizes trade and investment flows between the United States and Jordan.

African Growth and Opportunity Act: ECAT supports full implementation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, as extended, in a manner that fosters greater trade and investment between the United States and the countries of sub-Saharan Africa and supports greater economic growth and opportunities for sub-Saharan Africa.