Angola, US to renew trade and investment agreement

Angola and the United States are expected to reactivate 2010's trade and investment framework agreement (TIFA) between the two countries during upcoming talks in Washington, Angola's official news agency Angop reported on Monday. The meeting will take place in the U.S. Trade Department on April 1-2 and the Angola delegation will be led by Minister of Trade Rosa Escorcio Pacavira, who is expected to meet with U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Michael Froman over bilateral commercial ties. The framework agreement is a trade pact which establishes a framework for expanding trade and resolving outstanding disputes between the two countries and often seen as an important step towards establishing free trade agreements to allow Angola to be more competitive in U.S. markets. Angola, a strategic energy partner for the United States, is currently engaged in a post-war reconstruction process after decades of war ended in 2002. It mainly imports cars, machines and food stuffs from the United States and sells crude oil to the U.S. market.