,,ii #aagth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #eaed ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,november #cj 7legislative day1 ,november #bi71 #bjbb,mr4 ,van ,hollen introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,finance ,a ,,bill ,to promote the ,african ,continental ,free ,trade ,area1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,strengthening the ,african ,continental ,free ,trade ,area ,act of #bjbb or the ,strengthening the ,af,c,f,t,a ,act of #bjbb4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,by #bjce1 the gross domestic product of ,african countries is projected to increase by #dej1jjj1jjj1jjj with the implementation of the ,af,c,f,t,a and lift #cj1jjj1jjj ,africans out of extreme poverty while boosting the wages of ,african women and unskilled workers in particular1 according to ,world ,bank estimates4 7#b7 ,according to the ,world ,bank1 the total intracontinental exports from ,african countries would increase by #ha percent under the ,af,c,f,t,a4 ,by economic sector1 the ,af,c,f,t,a is expected to be especially important for expanding manufacturing1 by increasing intracontinental manufacturing exports by #aaj percent1 which will diversify ,african economies and decrease the reliance of such economies upon extracting natural resources4 7#c7 ,the ,af,c,f,t,a will also increase ,african manufacturing exports to the rest of the world by #df percent4 ,as a result of the ,af,c,f,t,a creating new commercial opportunities and diversifying global supply chains1 the rest of the world's gross domestic product is expected to increase by #gf1jjj1jjj1jjj4 #c4 ,statement of policy ,it is the policy of the ,united ,states to-- 7#a7 support the ,african ,union's ,agenda #bjfc efforts to promote regional economic development1 diversification1 and integration by stimulating greater trade and investment among ,african countries and between ,africa and the global trade partners of ,africa1 notably including greater collaboration with the ,united ,states2 7#b7 partner with the ,african ,union ,commission1 ,african ,union entities such as the ,african ,continental ,free ,trade ,area ,secretariat1 regional economic communities1 and other intergovernmental ,african organizations to bolster trade and investment at the regional1 intracontinental1 and international levels2 7#c7 increase opportunities for trade and investment between ,african countries and ,united ,states businesses1 including those owned by members of the ,african diaspora1 thereby contributing to potential ,united ,states economic growth2 and 7#d7 promote the goals of the ,african ,continental ,free ,trade ,area 7,af,c,f,t,a71 formed by the ,agreement ,establishing the ,african ,continental ,free ,trade ,area1 done at ,kigali1 ,rwanda on ,march #ba1 #bjah1 to simplify and expedite trade and investment among ,african countries and expand commercial opportunities for underserved groups1 women1 and youth entrepreneurs4 #d4 ,strategy to promote the ,african ,continental ,free ,trade ,area 7a7 ,development of strategy 7#a7 ,united ,states ,trade ,representative ,the ,president shall1 using existing interagency trade policy development and coordination authority and mechanisms1 direct the ,united ,states ,trade ,representative to develop a #aj-year ,federal strategy to promote the ,af,c,f,t,a to achieve the following goals3 7,a7 ,improving the efficacy1 efficiency1 and coordination of development aid and technical assistance from the ,united ,states focusing on trade capacity building that is provided to ,african countries1 regional communities1 and intergovernmental or multinational entities1 including to the ,af,c,f,t,a ,secretariat4 7,b7 ,implementing trade policy priorities of the ,af,c,f,t,a developed in coordination with continental1 regional1 and country partners in ,africa4 7#b7 ,elements ,the strategy developed pursuant to paragraph 7#a7 shall include policy or program plans to accomplish the following3 7,a7 ,increasing the volume and velocity of goods and services trade between ,african countries by improving customs operations1 which may include-- 7i7 providing support for increased automation or online processing of customs and cross-border trade-related tasks2 and 7ii7 supporting efforts-- 7,i7 to ensure adequate access to reliable electrical power supplies and internet access to foster digitalization where necessary2 and 7,,ii7 to provide paper-based or other applicable technical alternatives at border crossings where electricity or internet access is unreliable or unavailable1 including in coordination with the ,power ,africa initiative of the ,united ,states where applicable4 7,b7 ,expanding trade capacities and supporting trade-related infrastructure development1 prioritizing major intra-,african trade corridors4 7,c7 ,supporting the implementation and success of the ,af,c,f,t,a and its goals as identified in consultation with ,african counterparts at the continental1 regional1 and country level1 including by-- 7i7 advancing ,african regional and intracontinental alignment of trade-related legal and administrative procedures2 7ii7 strengthening the technical capacity of the ,af,c,f,t,a ,secretariat2 and 7iii7 promoting the development and expansion of ,african regional economic communities as they pertain to fostering trade1 including through direct consultation and partnership with the ,af,c,f,t,a ,secretariat4 7,d7 ,improving the efficacy of trade capacity building by the ,united ,states to support the implementation of the ,af,c,f,t,a1 as appropriate1 by preventing duplication of or incompatibility between the assistance activities of other major donors 7such as nongovernmental organizations1 other countries1 and intergovernmental organizations7 and the policies and projects included in the strategy4 7,e7 ,enabling more effective and inclusive participation of stakeholders1 including those representing workers1 environmental sustainability1 women1 youth1 or marginalized or underrepresented groups1 in the negotiation and implementation of the ,af,c,f,t,a4 7,f7 ,increasing trade and investment by the ,united ,states to expand ,african regional value chains1 especially as it relates to increasing manufacturing and production in ,africa in industries expected to grow with the implementation of the ,af,c,f,t,a4 7,g7 ,evaluating the industries in which the ,united ,states has a comparative advantage in ,africa relative to other countries and promoting trade and investment within those industries1 especially in industries expected to grow with the implementation of the ,af,c,f,t,a4 7#c7 ,biennial updates ,the strategy required under paragraph 7#a7 shall be updated biennially4 7#d7 ,prior approval ,the strategy required under paragraph 7#a7 and any update to that strategy under paragraph 7#c7 may only be developed through prior consultation with1 and submitted with the approval of1 the ,trade ,policy ,staff ,committee4 7#e7 ,consultation ,in developing the strategy required under paragraph 7#a7 and any update to that strategy under paragraph 7#c71 the ,united ,states ,trade ,representative shall1 as appropriate and practicable1 consult with-- 7,a7 stakeholders in the ,united ,states and in ,africa from the private sector1 civil society1 and ,african diaspora2 7,b7 relevant ,african ,union entities such as the ,af,c,f,t,a ,secretariat2 7,c7 ,state1 local1 and ,tribal governments2 and 7,d7 development agencies and entities of the ,united ,states not represented on the ,trade ,policy ,staff ,committee1 such as the ,prosper ,africa ,initiative1 the ,millennium ,challenge ,corporation1 and the ,united ,states ,international ,development ,finance ,corporation4 7b7 ,initial report ,not later than #bgj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,president shall 7subject to the prior approval required under subsection 7a77#d77 submit to the relevant congressional committees an initial report that includes the strategy required under subsection 7a7 and an implementation plan for that strategy that includes each of the following3 7#a7 ,the rationale1 objectives1 and anticipated manner of implementation of the strategy4 7#b7 ,the anticipated role of each agency represented in the ,trade ,policy ,staff ,committee in the implementation of the strategy4 7#c7 ,a summary of the current trade capacity-building programs1 projects1 and activities of the ,united ,states in support of the ,af,c,f,t,a as of the date of the submission of the report1 and the relationships between such programs1 projects1 and activities and the objectives of the strategy4 7#d7 ,any gaps1 inefficiencies1 or unmet needs identified in the course of preparing the summary described in paragraph 7#c74 7#e7 ,qualitative and quantitative goals and metrics for the implementation of the strategy1 including the criteria to be used in monitoring and evaluating progress towards the objectives of the strategy4 7#f7 ,recommendations1 in consultation with the ,director of the ,office of ,management and ,budget1 relating to programmatic or appropriations measures that could potentially enhance the implementation of the strategy1 including legislative or executive policy changes for such enhanced implementation4 7c7 ,biennial report 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than each of #b1 #d1 #f1 and #h years after the date of the submission of the initial report required by subsection 7b71 the ,president shall submit to the relevant congressional committees a report containing revisions and updates to the strategy required under subsection 7a7 and an assessment of the progress made in implementing the strategy as described in such initial report4 7#b7 ,elements ,each report required by paragraph 7#a7 shall include each of the following3 7,a7 ,a description of the obligation and expenditure of all amounts made available to carry out the strategy required under subsection 7a7 during the preceding #b fiscal years1 disaggregated by fiscal year1 account1 and activity4 7,b7 ,notable successes and challenges relating to the implementation of the strategy4 7,c7 ,an evaluation of the progress toward achieving the qualitative and quantitative goals and metrics included in the initial report required by subsection 7b7 pursuant to paragraph 7#e7 of that subsection4 7,d7 ,any updates and revisions made to the criteria described in subsection 7b77#e7 and included in the initial report4 7,e7 ,updated recommendations as described in subsection 7b77#f74 7d7 ,final report 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #aj years after the date of the submission of the initial report required by subsection 7b71 the ,president shall submit to the relevant congressional committees a report that assesses progress of the strategy required by subsection 7a7 during the #aj-year period preceding the date of the report4 7#b7 ,elements ,the report required by paragraph 7#a7 shall include each of the following3 7,a7 ,an assessment of the progress made in the implementation of the strategy required by subsection 7a7 during the #aj-year period preceding the date of the report with respect to each of the goals described in subsection 7a77#a71 including with respect to the qualitative and quantitative goals and metrics included in the initial report pursuant to subsection 7b77#e7 and using the criteria described in such subsection 7b77#e74 7,b7 ,an assessment of the successes1 challenges1 and effectiveness of the strategy4 7,c7 ,recommended legislative or administrative policy changes relevant to addressing any gaps1 policy or program shortcomings1 or other outstanding challenges relating to the goals of the strategy1 along with descriptions of prospective follow-up activities necessary to address those challenges4 7,d7 ,recommendations relating to fostering further synergies between implementation of activities1 as relevant and appropriate1 relating to the ,african ,growth and ,opportunity ,act 7#ai ,u4,s4,c4 #cgja et seq471 the ,af,c,f,t,a1 and any other trade policy initiatives of the ,united ,states towards ,africa1 including types of activities and expected outcomes based on the implementation of the strategy4 7,e7 ,a detailed description of the expenditure of all amounts authorized to implement the strategy throughout the #aj-year period1 including amounts appropriated pursuant to the authorization under section #e7;c71 disaggregated by fiscal year1 account1 and activity4 7e7 ,publication ,each report required by this section shall be submitted in unclassified form and may include a classified annex4 ,the unclassified portion of each such report shall be posted on publicly available websites of the ,office of the ,united ,states ,trade ,representative4 #e4 ,af,c,f,t,a ,trade ,capacity ,building ,program 7a7 ,trade capacity building implementation ,the ,administrator of the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development shall establish an ,af,c,f,t,a ,trade ,capacity ,building ,program 7in this section referred to as the ,program7 to support the implementation of the strategy required by section #d7;a7 through existing authorities granted by the ,foreign ,assistance ,act of #aifa 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #baea et seq471 in collaboration with continental1 regional1 and country partners in ,africa4 7b7 ,matters ,to be included ,in carrying out the ,program1 the ,administrator-- 7#a7 may designate the ,prosper ,africa ,initiative to administer the ,program2 7#b7 may support multi-year and renewable activities with the ,program2 7#c7 shall consult with the ,united ,states ,trade ,representative in making programmatic decisions2 and 7#d7 shall receive approval from the ,trade ,policy ,staff ,committee for all activities for which funds are planned to be made available 7including any transfers to other ,federal departments1 agencies1 or entities7 in a fiscal year from the ,program before the start of such fiscal year4 7c7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there is authorized to be appropriated #bjj1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjbe through #bjcd for the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development to carry out the ,program4 ,amounts so authorized-- 7#a7 shall be in addition to amounts otherwise authorized for existing projects1 programs1 and activities that support the goals of the ,program2 7#b7 may also be made available for consulting or technical services1 equipment1 new personnel1 or other project-related administrative expenses associated with the development1 implementation1 and reporting requirements of the strategy required by section #d7;a72 and 7#c7 are authorized to be transferred from the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development to other appropriate ,federal departments or agencies to the extent provided in advance by appropriations ,acts4 #f4 ,rule of construction ,nothing in this ,act may be construed to-- 7#a7 limit any authority or responsibility of the ,united ,states ,trade ,representative relating to the establishment or implementation of the trade policies of the ,united ,states 7including under section #ada of the ,trade ,act of #aigd 7#ai ,u4,s4,c4 #baga772 or 7#b7 transfer any such authority or responsibility to the ,administrator of the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development4 #g4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,af,c,f,t,a ,the term ,af,c,f,t,a means the ,african ,continental ,free ,trade ,area authorized to be created under the ,agreement ,establishing the ,african ,continental ,free ,trade ,area1 adopted by its ,african ,union signatories in ,kigali1 ,rwanda1 on ,march #ba1 #bjah4 7#b7 ,relevant congressional committees ,the term relevant congressional committees means the following3 7,a7 ,the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations1 the ,committee on ,finance1 and the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,senate4 7,b7 ,the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs1 the ,committee on ,ways and ,means1 and the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,house of ,representatives4 7#c7 ,trade ,policy ,staff ,committee ,the term ,trade ,policy ,staff ,committee means the interagency organization established under section #bdb7;a7 of the ,trade ,expansion ,act of #aifb 7#ai ,u4,s4,c4 #ahgb7;a774