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Bush signs AGOA Acceleration Act |
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2004-7-15
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The American President George Bush signed the African trade bill AGOA Acceleration Act of 2004 yesterday.
This controversial bill had many stakeholders from African continent raising hue and cry over the accent of the Presidential seal that raises broader questions about trade politics.
The impossible was made possible then as business spoke of trade liberalization as strange bedfellows got together in getting the bill through. Last week the Senate had passed the bill unopposed after a lot of lobbying by senators and activists such as religious groups such as Bread for the World, anti-poverty spokesmen such as the rock star Bono, and the Congressional Black Caucus.
Now Africa can have preferential access to the U.S. markets. The administration, which surprisingly had taken no keen interest until the legislation was passed, staged a well-publicized signing ceremony.
Now the Central American regions are anticipating similar trade agreements through the Congress even as there are no signs of such agreements getting through before the elections.
The question making rounds now is, why can''t the business supporters of that measure build a similar coalition, spanning religious groups and anti-poverty campaigners and the Hispanic caucus in Congress? After all, the growing influence of Hispanic voters (many of whom have Central American roots) is a central fact of the political landscape. |
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