Compendium of trade-related success stories

Supporting the African Growth and Opportunity Act, the landmark trade legislation that grants duty-free access to the U.S. market for more than 6,000 products from 40 qualifying African countries. AGCI provides a range of technical assistance services that help African countries improve their trade competitiveness, thereby increasing their ability to take advantage of the opportunities offered by free and open trade. This compendium includes success stories and case studies produced by implementers of USAID"s Presidential Initiative and complements the compendium published by AGCI in July 2008. It highlights specific examples of successes that AGCI has achieved, from reducing red tape and costs associated with trade, to facilitating access to finance and attaining new visibility in the global marketplace. Many of these success stories have been generated by the four African Global Competitiveness Hubs located in Accra, Dakar, Nairobi, and Gaborone and managed by USAID"s regional missions in West, East, and Southern Africa. (Author abstract, modified)