Expert Calls for New Policies to Boost US-Africa Trade Ties
The Association of Private Business Owners (ASSPRO) Conference on Supply Chain Management and Sustainability is scheduled from June 5 to 8 in Tallahassee, Florida.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. US — Dr. Tinashe Manzungu, a sub-Saharan Africa infrastructure development expert and business leader, has emphasized the need for designing policies that promote trade relations between the United States and Africa, writes AfricaBrief Correspondent.
In a statement ahead of his attendance at the Association of Private Business Owners (ASSPRO) Conference on Supply Chain Management and Sustainability in the United States scheduled for June, Manzungu said that over the past decade, trade between the two parties has seen little growth despite great potential.
"As Africans, among other continents, will be exploring trade and business opportunities at the upcoming U.S. International Conference on Trade and Entrepreneurship, it is key to note the essence of new policy formulations which promote the trade and entrepreneurship between the two parties," Manzungu said.
He added, "Gone are the days where the economic engagement between Africa and the U.S. has been known primarily in the context of providing aid and the issue of the extraction of mineral resources. We are in an era where there are more open doors for trade and economic activities between the two parties, and we have to make the best we can make in this era."
Manzungu, who will attend the conference wearing multiple hats, including as a COMESA Board Member, a representative of the African Business Council, and the Group CEO and Co-Founder of ZimBuild, said he looks forward to discussions and exploring possible deliveries from Africa to the U.S. and vice versa.
"The trade between the two parties has been anchored mainly on natural resources and agricultural products; however, more can be discovered," he said.
Manzungu highlighted the importance of supply chain management, noting that the conference's theme addresses a critical aspect of the global trade landscape.
He said, "America definitely needs Africa when it comes to resources, and at the same time, America is the big brother of the world's financial giants when it comes to financial representation. You will then find out that Africa needs America when it comes to the issue of financial muscles, whereas America also needs Africa in natural resources, so therefore, the exchanges between the two resources and finance is something that should marry us."
The Association of Private Business Owners (ASSPRO) Conference on Supply Chain Management and Sustainability is scheduled from June 5 to 8 in Tallahassee, Florida.