AAFA to support development of East African manufacturing
23/02/2017
The Hub forms part of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a programme created in May 2000 to give preferential access to the US market for over 6,000 products from 39 sub-Saharan African nations. It was renewed in 2016 for a further ten years.
The new agreement was signed outside a pavilion dedicated to African manufacturers at the Sourcing at Magic apparel sourcing fabric event in Las Vegas, US (February 21-23).
It sees the launch of the ‘East Africa Cotton, Textile and Apparel Initiative’, which aims to establish sustainable workforce development programmes and enforce environmental, social, labour and worker safety best practices in the region. This will bring East African manufacturers in line with the standards required by US apparel, footwear and travel goods sourcing companies.
The partners will also work with national governments and private sector organisations to launch programmes aimed at equipping young men and women in the region with the skills needed to have a career in these industries.
“Working in tandem with East African governments to raise industry standards, promote job creation, and increased trade and investment will ensure a win-win for trading partners,” the Hub said. It expects the initiative to support the creation of 45,000 jobs across Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda in its first three years.
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