RFI
Donald Trump restores preferential trade status of the DRC with the United States
After almost ten years of exclusion, the Democratic Republic of the Congo will once again be able to benefit from the trade preferences offered by AGOA. This decision was taken by outgoing US President Donald Trump, as the United States emerges as one of President Tshisekedi’s privileged allies. On May 19, 2020, Constance Hamilton, Deputy Representative of the United States for Foreign Trade for Africa, formally wrote to the Congolese authorities to discuss the conditions for the restoration of the DRC in the AGOA program, the American law on growth and Economic opportunities in Africa At the time, the country saw the beginning of the trial of Vital Kamerhe, chief of staff of the president, accused and since convicted of embezzlement, while Washington had called for efforts in the fight against corruption. It will be necessary to wait until November for the procedure to be really relaunched. Kinshasa then highlights advances dating from the Tshisekedi era in various fields, the release of political prisoners, the return of personalities in exile, the creation of the anti-corruption agency or even the free access to the primary education. But among the advances cited, there are also some of the oldest, dating from the Kabila era, such as membership of OHADA, which harmonizes business law in Africa or the creation of a one-stop shop. economic opportunities? The Congolese head of state of course welcomed this decision and the United States ambassador to the DRC praised the efforts of Félix Tshisekedi who could “open up important economic opportunities.” For his part, a former official downplays. He assures that the DRC of Joseph Kabila had protested against his exclusion, because it looked “bad”, but that the country had lost nothing. “This does not concern mineral resources, we exported nothing to the United States except a little coffee,” he explains, convinced that this is a purely political announcement. According to him, it could also be about President Trump’s desire to impose this restoration on the next American administration and perpetuate the status of the new Congolese head of state as a privileged partner. ► See also: The presidential election to the States -Unis going to change something in the DRC For the Minister of Foreign Trade who has just joined the Tshisekedi camp, the exclusion of AGOA had really penalized the country. Jean-Lucien Bussa speaks of more than 623 million dollars in exports to the United States, mainly agricultural products, in 2011 against only 21 million in 2019.
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