,i #aahth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #hbdi ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,may #f1 #bjbd ,mrs4 ,cherfilus-,mc,cormick 7for herself and ,mr4 ,jackson of ,illinois7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,ways and ,means1 and in addition to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to strengthen the ,african ,continental ,free ,trade ,area1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,u4,s4-,africa ,strategic ,trade and ,investment ,partnership ,act of #bjbd or the ,,astip ,act of #bjbd4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,the ,africa ,continental ,free ,trade ,area 7,af,c,f,t,a7 will be the largest free trade area given ,africa's current population of #a1djj1jjj1jjj people1 which is expected to grow to #b1ejj1jjj1jjj by #bjej and close to #dj percent of the global population by #bajj2 7#b7 ,according to the ,united ,nations ,economic ,commission for ,africa1 this single-market trade agreement will enable the ,african economy to reach the #bi trillion mark by #bjej4 7#c7 ,according to ,world ,bank estimates1 by #bjce1 the total 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 people in ,africa out of extreme poverty while boosting the wages of women and unskilled workers in particular in ,africa4 7#d7 ,according to the ,brooking ,institute ,press ,book ,unlocking ,africa's ,business ,potential1 by #bjej1 the combined consumer and business spending in ,africa will exceed #af4ab trillion4 7#e7 ,according to the ,world ,bank1 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#f7 ,the ,af,c,f,t,a also is projected to 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 by stimulating greater trade and investment among ,african countries and between ,africa and the ,united ,states2 7#b7 partner with the ,african ,union ,commission and ,african ,union entities such as the ,african ,continental ,free ,trade ,area ,secretariat1 ,african ,regional ,economic ,communities1 and other intergovernmental ,african organizations to bolster trade and investment at the regional1 intracontinental1 and international levels1 and facilitate market access and bilateral trade between the ,united ,states and ,african countries2 7#c7 increase opportunities for trade and investment between ,african countries and ,united ,states businesses1 including those owned by members of the ,african diaspora1 women1 youth and underserved groups1 thereby thereby contributing to potential ,united ,states economic growth2 7#d7 promote the goals of the ,african ,continental ,free ,trade ,agreement signed on ,march #ba1 #bjah1 to lower trade barriers between ,african countries1 expand commercial opportunities for underserved groups1 women1 and youth entrepreneurs1 and attract greater foreign investment2 7#e7 improve the efficacy1 efficiency1 and coordination of ,united ,states development aid and technical assistance1 focusing on trade capacity building that is provided to ,african countries1 regional communities1 and intergovernmental or multinational entities including to the ,af,c,f,t,a ,secretariat2 7#f7 support efforts to aid the implementation of the trade policy priorities of the ,af,c,f,t,a1 developed in coordination with continental1 regional1 and country partners in ,africa2 and 7#g7 facilitate market access and bilateral trade between the ,united ,states and ,african countries4 #d4 ,united ,states roadmap to promote the ,african ,continental ,free ,trade ,area 7a7 ,report 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 ,representative1 in coordination with the ,secretary of ,state1 the ,administrator of the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development1 and the heads of other ,federal agencies the ,president determines have trade or trade-related development mandates1 to publish a report3 7,a7 ,describing efforts to promote the ,af,c,f,t,a and to achieve the following goals3 7i7 ,evaluate the industries in which the ,united ,states industries have a comparative advantage in ,africa relative to other non-,african countries1 and strategy to promote trade and investment within those industries1 especially in industries expected to grow with the implementation of the ,af,c,f,t,a4 7ii7 ,evaluate the industries in which the ,united ,states investments can create direct and indirect jobs1 and strategies to sustain and enhance them in both ,african counties and the ,united ,states1 as the markets grow with the ,af,c,f,t,a4 7iii7 ,expand trade capacities and support trade-related infrastructure development1 and prioritize major intra-,african trade corridors4 7iv7 ,support 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-- 7,i7 advancing ,african regional and intra-continental alignment of trade-related legal and administrative procedures2 7,,ii7 strengthening the technical capacity of the ,af,c,f,t,a ,secretariat2 and 7,,iii7 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 7v7 ,improve the efficacy of ,united ,states trade capacity building to support ,af,c,f,t,a implementation1 as appropriate1 including by identifying duplication of or incompatibility between the assistance activities of other major donors 7such as nongovernmental organizations1 other governments1 and intergovernmental organizations7 and the policies and projects included in the strategy4 7vi7 ,enable more effective and inclusive participation of stakeholders1 including those representing workers1 environmental sustainability1 ,african diaspora1 women1 youth1 marginalized1 or underrepresented groups1 in the further negotiation of ,af,c,f,t,a subsidiary agreements1 protocols1 or other legal texts1 and the implementation of the ,af,c,f,t,a generally4 7,b7 ,providing a description of the obligation and expenditure of all amounts made available to carry out the strategy during the preceding #b fiscal years1 disaggregated by fiscal year1 account1 and activity4 7,c7 ,identifying successes and challenges relating to the implementation of the strategy4 7,d7 ,evaluating whether there has been any progress made regarding achieving the qualitative and quantitative goals and metrics included in the initial report pursuant to subsection 7b77#e74 7,e7 ,providing any updates and revisions made to the criteria described in subsection 7b77#e7 and included in the initial report4 7,f7 ,updating recommendations as described in subsection 7b77#f74 7#b7 ,timeframe ,not later than #b years after the submission of the initial report required by subsection 7b71 and every #b years thereafter for #h years1 the ,president shall submit the report to the relevant congressional committees4 7#c7 ,prior approval and biennial updates ,the report required by this subsection may only be developed through prior consultation with1 and submitted with the approval of1 the ,trade ,policy ,staff ,committee established pursuant to section #bdb7;a7 of the ,trade ,expansion ,act of #aifb 7#ai ,u4,s4,c4 #ahgb7;a774 ,such report shall also be updated biennially with such prior consultation and pursuant to such approval4 7#d7 ,consultation ,in developing the report described in this subsection1 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 ,united ,states development agencies and entities not represented on the ,trade ,policy ,staff ,committee1 including the ,prosper ,africa ,initiative ,secretariat1 the ,millennium ,challenge ,corporation1 and the ,united ,states ,development ,finance ,corporation4 7b7 ,initial report ,not later than #bgj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,president shall1 subject to the prior approval required under subsection 7a77#c71 submit to the relevant congressional committees an initial report that identifies a strategy to achieve the goals identified in subsection 7a7 and an implementation plan for such 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 ,federal department or agency involved in implementing such strategy1 and the manner in which such departments and agencies should jointly collaborate at the interagency level4 7#c7 ,a summary of 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 criteria to be used in monitoring and evaluating progress toward the objectives of the strategy4 7#f7 ,recommendations 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 ,final report ,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 over the preceding decade of the strategy4 ,such report shall also include each of the following3 7#a7 ,an assessment of the progress made in the implementation of the roadmap over the preceding decade 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 strategy and its implementation4 7#c7 ,recommended legislative or executive 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 such 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 ,africa-related ,united ,states trade policy initiatives1 including types of activities and expected outcomes based on the implementation of the roadmap4 7#e7 ,a detailed description of the expenditure of all amounts authorized to implement the roadmap throughout the #aj-year period1 including amounts appropriated pursuant to the authorization under section #e7;b71 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 ,u4,s-,af,c,f,t,a strategic and investment partnership agreement ,the ,united ,states ,trade ,representative1 in consultation with the ,af,c,f,t,a ,secretariat1 is authorized to identify initial issues with regard to which the ,united ,states1 the ,af,c,f,t,a ,secretariat1 and ,african ,governments implementing the ,af,c,f,t,a should seek to develop an ambitious roadmap for enhanced cooperation1 with the goal of negotiating high-standard commitments in order to achieve economically meaningful outcomes1 including measures with respect to the following areas1 matters1 and stated objectives3 7#a7 ,manufacture and value addition ,increase ,united ,states trade and investment to expand ,african regional value chains1 especially as related to increasing manufacturing and production on the continent in industries expected to grow with the implementation of the ,af,c,f,t,a1 and with respect to value-added activities related to the processing or use of basic commodities produced by ,african countries4 7#b7 ,agriculture ,facilitate agricultural trade1 enhance transparency and on the application of science- and risk-based sanitary and phytosanitary trade requirements and regulations1 and foster sustainable agricultural practices1 as well as creating an enabling environment for innovative agricultural technologies that would help achieve food security goals1 increase farm productivity1 improve farmer livelihoods1 while addressing climate change concerns as related to ,united ,states-,africa trade and investment activity4 7#c7 ,anti-corruption ,enhance a shared commitment and applied programmatic activities to prevent and combat bribery and other forms of corruption1 including sharing information on best practices to prevent and combat bribery and corruption1 and efforts to explore the negotiation of specific related commitments1 as related to ,united ,states-,africa trade and investment activity4 7#d7 ,digital trade ,foster ,african and joint ,united ,states-,africa trade- and investment-related consumer1 business1 and worker trust in the digital economy1 including by ensuring access to information1 promoting the development and use of resilient and secure digital infrastructure1 promoting competition and the participation of micro1 small1 and medium enterprises 7referred to as ,m,s,m,es71 and addressing discriminatory practices1 including measures to support digital inclusion1 to include accessibility online consumer protection1 and global discussions on emerging issues in digital trade4 7#e7 ,environment and climate change action ,measures to strengthen environmental protection and1 conservation1 climate change adaptation and mitigation1 and sustainable use and management of natural resources as such issues may relate to or help to foster or be advanced by ,united ,states-,african trade and investment activity4 7#f7 ,good regulatory practices ,explore of ,united ,states-,african negotiations over high-level commitments on topics such as ensuring adequate time for public consultations on proposed regulations1 posting proposed regulations for review by interested stakeholders1 and basing regulatory decisions on best available information1 science1 and evidence1 including undertaking risk analysis and regulatory impact assessment as appropriate4 7#g7 ,micro-1 small- and medium-sized enterprises ,measures and approaches to integrate ,m,s,m,es1 including women-owned enterprises1 into international trade1 alongside periodic technical best practices exchanges and roundtables on ,m,s,m,es1 given the key role of successful ,,msme activity in achieving sustained economic growth4 7#h7 ,promoting workers' rights and protections ,joint ,united ,states-,african applied collaboration to advance and protect internationally recognized labor rights in ,africa through enforcement of1 and compliance with1 labor laws1 the promotion of social dialogue1 and cooperation in other areas of mutual interest on labor and employment priorities1 including forced labor in global supply chains4 7#i7 ,supporting participation of women1 youth1 and others in trade ,promote economic opportunities for women1 youth1 persons with disabilities1 other vulnerable or socioeconomically marginalized populations1 and the ,african diaspora including through the development and adoption of trade policies to promote and facilitate their participation in international trade1 and to promote good paying1 high-quality jobs and sustainable livelihoods4 7#aj7 ,standards collaboration ,improve technical and legal standards1 conformity assessment procedures1 and technical regulations that have a significant impact on trade1 including opportunities to reduce impediments to trade due to differences among national legal and technical systems1 and measures to facilitate mutual understanding among governments of their peers' respective processes for the preparation1 adoption1 and application of technical regulations1 standards and conformity assessment procedures based on mutually agreed best practices4 7#aa7 ,trade facilitation and customs procedures modernization ,increase the volume1 value1 and velocity of goods and services traded between ,african countries by improving customs operations1 which should include-- 7,a7 measures that take into consideration the profound disruption that international infectious disease outbreaks and pandemics can cause to supply chains1 as demonstrated by the #bjai coronavirus pandemic1 notably in #bjbj and #bjba1 and the demonstrated benefits of streamlining border procedures and accelerating ,world ,trade ,organization ,trade ,facilitation ,agreement implementation for trade in goods in order to better address such challenges1 notably in ,africa2 7,b7 providing support for increased automation or online processing of customs and cross-border trade-related tasks2 and 7,c7 supporting efforts-- 7i7 to ensure adequate access to reliable electrical power supplies and internet to foster digitalization of trade or trade-related regulatory compliance where necessary1 such as at border posts that administer trade flows2 and 7ii7 to provide paper-based1 or other applicable technical alternatives at border crossings where electricity or internet access is unreliable or unavailable1 including in coordination with the ,united ,states ,power ,africa or ,prosper ,africa initiatives where applicable4 7#ab7 ,intellectual property ,strengthen ,african ,governments intellectual property legal frameworks by enhancing cooperation to boost innovation1 research1 and development1 propel technology advancement1 promote creativity1 attract investments1 and harmonize national laws and regulations toward such ends1 including through the use of international intellectual property agreements or treaties4 #f4 ,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 to support the implementation of the strategy required by section #d 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 including the civil society and private sector in ,africa4 ,in carrying out such ,program1 the ,administrator-- 7#a7 may designate the ,prosper ,africa ,initiative to administer the ,af,c,f,t,a ,trade ,capacity ,building ,program2 7#b7 shall consult with the ,united ,states ,trade ,representative in making programmatic decisions2 and 7#c7 shall receive approval from the ,trade ,policy ,staff ,committee established pursuant to section #bdb7;a7 of the ,trade ,expansion ,act of #aifb 7#ai ,u4,s4,c4 #ahgb7;a77 for all planned activities for which funds are to be made available 7including any transfers to other ,federal departments1 agencies1 or entities74 7b7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there is authorized to be appropriated #ej1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjbe through #bjcd for the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development to carry out the ,af,c,f,t,a ,trade ,capacity ,building ,program described in subsection 7a74 ,amounts so authorized-- 7#a7 shall be in addition to amounts otherwise authorized for existing trade1 investment1 or economic growth-related projects1 programs1 and activities that support the goals of such ,program2 7#b7 may 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 ,president's strategy required by section #d7;a72 and 7#c7 are authorized to be transferred as necessary to carry out the objectives of this ,act from the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development to other ,federal departments or agencies with a role in implementing the strategy required by section #d7;a71 to the extent provided in advance by appropriations ,acts4 #g4 ,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 any such authority or responsibility to the ,administrator of the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development4 #h4 ,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 ,african ,diaspora ,the term ,african diaspora means consisting of people of ,african origin living outside the continent1 irrespective of their citizenship and nationality and who are willing to contribute to the development of the continent and the building of the ,african ,union as defined by the ,african ,union4 7#c7 ,african ,regional ,economic ,communities ,the term ,africa ,regional ,economic ,communities means various economic and political organizations in ,africa established to promote regional integration1 cooperation1 and development among states4 ,these communities include entities such as the ,african ,union 7,,au1 ,economic community of ,west ,africa ,states 7,,ecowas71 ,east ,african ,community 7,,eac71 ,southern ,african ,development ,community 7,,sadc71 and others4 7#d7 ,relevant congressional committees ,the term relevant congressional committees means the following3 7,a7 ,the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs1 the ,committee on ,ways and ,means1 and the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,house of ,representatives4 7,b7 ,the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations1 the ,committee on ,finance1 and the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,senate4