II
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 816
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 3, 2025
Mr. Durbin (for himself, Mr. Boozman, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Cassidy, and Mr. Coons) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
A BILL
To increase United States jobs through greater United States exports to Africa and Latin America, and for other purposes.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the Increasing American Jobs Through Greater United States Exports to Africa and Latin America Act of 2025
.
Investment, trade, and development in Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean
Strategy required
In general
The President shall establish a comprehensive United States strategy for public and private investment, trade, and development in Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean.
Focus of strategy
The strategy required by paragraph (1) shall focus on increasing exports of United States goods and services to Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean by 200 percent in real dollar value by the date that is 10 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Consultations
In developing the strategy required by paragraph (1), the President shall consult with—
Congress;
each agency that is a member of the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee;
the relevant multilateral development banks, in coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury and the respective United States Executive Directors of such banks;
each agency that participates in the Trade Policy Staff Committee;
the President’s Export Council;
each of the development agencies;
any other Federal agencies with responsibility for export promotion or financing and development; and
the private sector, including businesses, nongovernmental organizations, and African and Latin American and Caribbean diaspora groups.
Submission to appropriate congressional committees
Strategy
Not later than 200 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees the strategy required by subsection (a).
Progress report
Not later than 3 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the implementation of the strategy required by paragraph (1).
Special Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean export strategy coordinators
The Secretary of Commerce shall designate an official of the Department of Commerce to serve as Special Africa Export Strategy Coordinator and an official of the Department to serve as Special Latin America and the Caribbean Export Strategy Coordinator—
to oversee the development and implementation of the strategy required by subsection (a);
to coordinate developing and implementing the strategy with—
the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee;
the Director General for the United States and Foreign Commercial Service and Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets;
the Assistant United States Trade Representative for African Affairs or the Assistant United States Trade Representative for the Western Hemisphere, as appropriate;
the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs or the Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, as appropriate;
the Administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service of the Department of Agriculture;
the Export-Import Bank of the United States;
the United States International Development Finance Corporation; and
the development agencies; and
to consider and reflect on the impact of the promotion of exports of goods and services from the United States on the economies of and employment opportunities in the countries importing those goods and services, with a view toward improving secure supply chains, avoiding economic disruptions, and stabilizing economic growth through a trade and export strategy.
Trade missions to Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean
It is the sense of Congress that, not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce and other high-level officials of the United States Government with responsibility for export promotion, financing, and development should conduct joint trade missions to Africa and to Latin America and the Caribbean.
Training
The President shall develop a plan—
to standardize the training received by United States and Foreign Commercial Service officers, economic officers of the Department of State, and economic officers of the United States Agency for International Development with respect to the programs and procedures of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the United States International Development Finance Corporation, the Small Business Administration, and the United States Trade and Development Agency; and
to ensure that, not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act—
all United States and Foreign Commercial Service officers that are stationed overseas receive the training described in paragraph (1); and
in the case of a country to which no United States and Foreign Commercial Service officer is assigned, any economic officer of the Department of State stationed in that country receives that training.
Definitions
In this section:
Appropriate congressional committees
The term appropriate congressional committees means—
the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, the Committee on Finance, and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; and
the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives.
Development agencies
The term development agencies means the United States Department of State, the United States Agency for International Development, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the United States International Development Finance Corporation, the United States Trade and Development Agency, the United States Department of Agriculture, and relevant multilateral development banks.
Multilateral development banks
The term multilateral development banks has the meaning given that term in section 1701(c)(4) of the International Financial Institutions Act (22 U.S.C. 262r(c)(4)) and includes the African Development Foundation.
Trade Policy Staff Committee
The term Trade Policy Staff Committee means the Trade Policy Staff Committee established pursuant to section 2002.2 of title 15, Code of Federal Regulations.
Trade promotion coordinating committee
The term Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee means the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee established under section 2312 of the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 4727).
United States and Foreign Commercial Service
The term United States and Foreign Commercial Service means the United States and Foreign Commercial Service established by section 2301 of the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 4721).