Rwanda to benefit from increased trade with US

Rwanda is set to benefit from increased trade with the US following a meeting between the country’s President Paul Kagame and US assistant trade representative for Africa, Rosa Whitaker, in Kigali on Tuesday. A statement from the presidential press office said Whitaker was in Rwanda to promote trade and investment between the two countries. She was also in the country to highlight the potential benefits of the Africa growth and opportunities Act (AGOA) for the Rwandan business community. “This country has a lot of potential,” the statement quoted Whitaker as saying. “There is a lot of untapped potential and we see significant areas of opportunity if we exploit AGOA to boost trade, investment and development,” she added. The value of US/Rwanda trade currently stands at US $24 million, the statement said. With a zero rated tariff on Rwandan exports to the US, this figure is expected to significantly increase, it added. The executive secretary of the Rwanda Investment Promotion Agency, Bonaventure Niyibizi, who also attended the meeting said that the Rwandan business community would identify areas of competitive advantage and improve efficiency in the way they put their products on the market in order to reap maximum benefits from AGOA.