TradeNotes

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Backstop 21 Officers (BS21) work on the front lines of USAID's dealings with the private sector. In this inaugural issue of TradeNotes, we wish to announce ways to ensure BS21 Officers’ skills stay cutting-edge and our achievements regularly receive Agency-wide recognition--particularly amid the E3 reorganization and USAID's intensifying interest in private sector engagement.

Eric Postel, Assistant Administrator of E3

The Bureau for Economic Growth, Education and the Environment (E3), is USAID’s newest bureau. This reorganization gives those within the former Bureau for Economic Growth, Agriculture and Trade (EGAT) opportunities to work closely on cross-sectoral development with colleagues in education and the environment.

The Office of Trade and Regulatory Reform (TRR) is overseeing a new mechanism for Missions and Offices to access technical expertise in a wide variety of EG-related specialties at the lowest cost to USAID.

The E3 Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) creates a roster of U.S. consultants who can be engaged directly by USAID (with no overhead to consulting firms) for assignments lasting up to 90 days without contracting officer approval.

Cover of Where to Spend the Next Million? Applying Impact Evaluation to Trade As

Recent publications advance thinking on exporting services, light manufacturing in Africa, the Doha Agenda, gender equality as an ingredient of economic growth, and evaluating the impact of trade assistance. Read on...                                      

 

Participants gather after March's Trade and Investment Training Course

March’s in-depth Trade and Investment Training Course gave 35 USAID officers from all over the world a broad—one participant called it “diverse”—overview of issues, trends, and regulatory infrastructure that make up the international trading system.

The training, March 5-9, from USAID’s Bureau of Economic Growth, Agriculture, and Trade (EGAT) organized sessions into issues facing producers and sellers at various points in the value chain, including: 

PCA Handbook

 To help advance customs modernization and economic growth, the USAID-funded TCBoost project has developed several handbooks for customs authorities in developing countries that give step-by-step practical guidance on implementing authorized economic operators (AEO), post-clearance audit (PCA), and advance rulings programs.