USTR Replies to Our Campaign to Save Madagascar Jobs

After sending an email to Constance Hamilton, Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa, we received the following email in response: Thank you, Mr. Easterly, for your email. We of course, want to have as many sub-Saharan African countries as possible be eligible for AGOA benefits. We are working with all the countries, including Madagascar -- to encourage their governments to abide by the AGOA eligibility criteria, particularly rule of law. There has been some recent progress amongst the Malagasy actors involved which gives us some hope. But at the end of the day, an unstable political environment, no regard for rule of law, etc. will undermine Madagascar's future, ongoing investment, and the lives of its people more than any one preference program or initiative. We hope that it is their understanding of that point that will keep them moving forward with restoring democracy and rule of law in Madagascar.

Regards, Connie Hamilton