The U.S. has a major challenge on its hands: If the country does not come up with a well coordinated and timely strategy to ride Africa’s economic wave, not only will entities like China and the European Union continue to chip away at America’s strategic interests, the private sector will continue to sit on what a January 2013 Wall Street Journal article estimated to be USD $ 1.7 trillion in cash.

Fortunately, with a CCA proposal for $ 10 billion for Africa’s infrastructure projects now floated, the TASP believes that by putting such mechanisms in place, the U.S. can tap Africa’s potential to generate both profit and U.S. based jobs.

Additionally, save for the ‘Fast Track’ - a politically contentious legislation that would ease the way for new trade deals - the U.S., ostensibly, has an uncluttered trade policy agenda for 2013, and so, progress on AGOA renewal or enhancement, could commence alongside a panoply of Congressional activity, and Administration effort to spur the private sector into Africa’s opportunities.