Africa Trade Mission Comes To L.A.
The California Fashion Association (CFA) and the Department of Commerce recently hosted a group of African manufacturers at a breakfast meeting to discuss opportunities in the California market.
The June 25 meeting, held at Moda restaurant in the California Market Center, was organized by the Corporate Council on Africa, a Washington, D.C.-based organization founded to help U.S. firms take advantage of the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA), which eliminated duties on certain goods imported from Africa to the United States.
Robert Krieger, president of freight forwarder Norman Krieger & Associates, discussed some of the challenges and opportunities of importing goods from Africa.
“Los Angeles is one of the largest port complexes in the world,” said Krieger, who explained that Los Angeles is “logistically challenged to receive goods from Africa, but it is a difficulty that can be overcome by planning.”
Krieger said there is currently an opportunity for importers looking to take advantage of AGOA. Once quotas are eliminated for World Trade Association members in 2005, Krieger said there will be increased interest in African manufacturing, particularly from Chinese companies.
“There is a window of opportunity before other countries go off quota,” he said.
Jonathan Chifallu joined the trade mission in the hopes of making contacts for investment in Kenya. Chiafallu, public relations officer for the Export Processing Zones Authority of Kenya, said Kenya currently has 26 export zones, which export 100 percent of their manufactured goods to the United States. The country is looking for companies to form strategic partnerships “or wholly owned” apparel and textile manufacturing facilities in Kenya. —Alison A. Nieder
