What This Bill Does
This bill asks the President to create a comprehensive strategy for increasing American business activity and trade in Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean. The main goal is to double exports of American goods and services to these regions within 10 years of the law taking effect. The bill also establishes special coordinators to oversee this strategy and requires training for government officials working on trade and development.
Who It Affects
The President and federal agencies involved in trade, exports and development. American businesses, private companies and nongovernmental organizations interested in exporting. Government officials stationed overseas who handle trade and business matters. Congress, which must receive reports on the strategy's progress.
Key Provisions
- The President must establish a comprehensive strategy focused on increasing exports of American goods and services to Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean by 200 percent in real dollar value within 10 years (Sec. 2(a)(1) and (2))
- The President must designate a Special Africa Export Strategy Coordinator and a Special Latin America and the Caribbean Export Strategy Coordinator to oversee development and implementation of this strategy (Sec. 2(b))
- The President must submit the strategy to Congress no later than 180 days after the law takes effect, and must submit a progress report three years after that date (Sec. 2(a)(4))
- The President must develop a training plan to standardize how government trade officials learn about export financing and development programs, with all overseas commercial officers receiving this training within one year (Sec. 2(d))
- Congress encourages the Secretary of Commerce and other high-level officials to conduct joint trade missions to Africa and to Latin America and the Caribbean within one year of the law taking effect (Sec. 2(c))
What Changes
The federal government will now have a formal, coordinated strategy for expanding American exports to Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean. Government officials working on trade matters will receive standardized training on export programs and financing tools. The President will appoint two special coordinators to focus specifically on these export goals and regions.
Important Definitions
The bill defines several terms: "Development agencies" means the State Department, the United States Agency for International Development, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the United States International Development Finance Corporation, the United States Trade and Development Agency, the Department of Agriculture, and relevant multilateral development banks. "Multilateral development banks" refers to development banks as defined in another federal law, and includes the African Development Foundation.
Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
II
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 158
To increase United States jobs through greater United States exports to
Africa and Latin America, and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
JANUARY 31, 2023
Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mr. COONS, and
Mr. CASSIDY) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and re-
ferred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
A BILL
To increase United States jobs through greater United States
exports to Africa and Latin America, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Increasing American
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Jobs Through Greater United States Exports to Africa
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and Latin America Act of 2023’’.
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SEC. 2. INVESTMENT, TRADE, AND DEVELOPMENT IN AFRI-
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CA AND LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIB-
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BEAN.
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(a) STRATEGY REQUIRED.—
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•S 158 IS
(1) IN GENERAL.—The President shall establish
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a comprehensive United States strategy for public
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and private investment, trade, and development in
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Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean.
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(2) FOCUS
OF
STRATEGY.—The strategy re-
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quired by paragraph (1) shall focus on increasing ex-
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ports of United States goods and services to Africa
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and Latin America and the Caribbean by 200 per-
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cent in real dollar value by the date that is 10 years
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after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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(3) CONSULTATIONS.—In developing the strat-
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egy required by paragraph (1), the President shall
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consult with—
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(A) Congress;
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(B) each agency that is a member of the
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Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee;
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(C) the relevant multilateral development
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banks, in coordination with the Secretary of the
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Treasury and the respective United States Ex-
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ecutive Directors of such banks;
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(D) each agency that participates in the
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Trade Policy Staff Committee established;
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(E) the President’s Export Council;
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(F) each of the development agencies;
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•S 158 IS
(G) any other Federal agencies with re-
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sponsibility for export promotion or financing
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and development; and
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(H) the private sector, including busi-
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nesses, nongovernmental organizations, and Af-
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rican and Latin American and Caribbean dias-
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pora groups.
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(4) SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS.—
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(A) STRATEGY.—Not later than 180 days
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after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
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President shall submit to Congress the strategy
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required by subsection (a).
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(B) PROGRESS REPORT.—Not later than 3
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years after the date of the enactment of this
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Act, the President shall submit to Congress a
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report on the implementation of the strategy re-
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quired by paragraph (1).
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(b) SPECIAL AFRICA AND LATIN AMERICA AND THE
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CARIBBEAN EXPORT STRATEGY COORDINATORS.—The
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President shall designate an individual to serve as Special
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Africa Export Strategy Coordinator and an individual to
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serve as Special Latin America and the Caribbean Export
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Strategy Coordinator—
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(1) to oversee the development and implementa-
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tion of the strategy required by subsection (a); and
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•S 158 IS
(2) to coordinate developing and implementing
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the strategy with—
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(A) the Trade Promotion Coordinating
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Committee;
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(B) the Assistant United States Trade
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Representative for African Affairs or the Assist-
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ant United States Trade Representative for the
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Western Hemisphere, as appropriate;
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(C) the Assistant Secretary of State for
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African Affairs or the Assistant Secretary of
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State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, as ap-
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propriate;
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(D) the Export-Import Bank of the United
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States;
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(E) the United States International Devel-
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opment Finance Corporation; and
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(F) the development agencies.
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(c) TRADE MISSIONS TO AFRICA AND LATIN AMER-
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ICA AND THE CARIBBEAN.—It is the sense of Congress
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that, not later than one year after the date of the enact-
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ment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce and other
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high-level officials of the United States Government with
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responsibility for export promotion, financing, and devel-
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opment should conduct joint trade missions to Africa and
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to Latin America and the Caribbean.
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(d) TRAINING.—The President shall develop a plan—
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(1) to standardize the training received by
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United States and Foreign Commercial Service offi-
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cers, economic officers of the Department of State,
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and economic officers of the United States Agency
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for International Development with respect to the
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programs and procedures of the Export-Import
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Bank of the United States, the United States Inter-
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national Development Finance Corporation, the
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Small Business Administration, and the United
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States Trade and Development Agency; and
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(2) to ensure that, not later than one year after
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the date of the enactment of this Act—
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(A) all United States and Foreign Com-
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mercial Service officers that are stationed over-
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seas receive the training described in paragraph
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(1); and
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(B) in the case of a country to which no
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United States and Foreign Commercial Service
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officer is assigned, any economic officer of the
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Department of State stationed in that country
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receives that training.
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(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
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(1) DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES.—The term ‘‘de-
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velopment agencies’’ means the United States De-
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•S 158 IS
partment of State, the United States Agency for
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International Development, the Millennium Chal-
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lenge Corporation, the United States International
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Development Finance Corporation, the United
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States Trade and Development Agency, the United
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States Department of Agriculture, and relevant mul-
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tilateral development banks.
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(2) MULTILATERAL
DEVELOPMENT
BANKS.—
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The term ‘‘multilateral development banks’’ has the
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meaning given that term in section 1701(c)(4) of the
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International Financial Institutions Act (22 U.S.C.
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262r(c)(4)) and includes the African Development
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Foundation.
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(3) TRADE
POLICY
STAFF
COMMITTEE.—The
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term ‘‘Trade Policy Staff Committee’’ means the
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Trade Policy Staff Committee established pursuant
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to section 2002.2 of title 15, Code of Federal Regu-
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lations.
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(4) TRADE
PROMOTION
COORDINATING
COM-
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MITTEE.—The term ‘‘Trade Promotion Coordinating
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Committee’’ means the Trade Promotion Coordi-
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nating Committee established under section 2312 of
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the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C.
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4727).
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•S 158 IS
(5) UNITED
STATES
AND
FOREIGN
COMMER-
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CIAL SERVICE.—The term ‘‘United States and For-
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eign Commercial Service’’ means the United States
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and Foreign Commercial Service established by sec-
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tion 2301 of the Export Enhancement Act of 1988
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(15 U.S.C. 4721).
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Æ
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