This year, Africa has a standout pavilion, at Sourcing at MAGIC demonstrating the capacity and unique products of the continent's garment exporters - all of which offer the duty-free AGOA advantage to buyers. Recent legislation, which extended the AGOA preference program until 2015, both broadened the rules of origin to promote vertical integration in the textile-apparel industry and expanded duty-free treatment to a wider range of products such as towels and African home furnishings. African companies are ready to seize this opportunity more fully and expand their share of the vast U.S. market.

The East and Central Africa Global Competitiveness Hub (ECA Hub), funded by USAID and based in Nairobi Kenya, is sponsoring 10 companies from Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar and Uganda to attend MAGIC. The ECA Trade Hub is one of four Hubs in the Africa region established to support the United States Presidential Trade for Africa Development and Enterprise Initiative, commonly referred to as TRADE initiative, launched to assist African businesses to facilitate trade and take better advantage of AGOA.

Understanding the basics of the various buying communities and trends undoubtedly gives a company/country an edge in gaining access to the U.S. market and to this end, the ECA Trade Hub held a seminar with participating companies to arm them with relevant strategies and insights to penetrate the market as part of the preparation for attendance at the show. This was followed by company visits by a technical expert to reinforce the seminar learnings on a one-to-one firm level. The trade show will be an ideal platform in which to demonstrate the capabilities and unique products of African apparel exporters.

Distinctive among the companies is Phenix Logistics of Uganda, a company that produces organic cotton. The company will make its first major shipment of apparel, 50,000 organic cotton t-shirts, to the U.S. market under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) this February 2007. Phenix has spun the fabric for the shirts from cotton yarn, the first time Ugandan cotton has been used to make fabric for an AGOA apparel export.

Kenya is unique in having companies in both the sourcing and branded areas: Kasuku Kikois, manufacturers of apparel and accessories made from the vibrantly coloured kikoi and kanga cloths that have adorned generations of East Africans for many centuries, is the only East African Company that will exhibit in the Branded area. These highly prized textiles were a unit of currency, used by the peoples of the East African coast and interior; Bedi Investments Ltd, the only fibre dyeing plant in East and Southern Africa is also CIBA licensed to apply Teflon coating and fire resistant finishing to their fabrics; and United Aryan, a contract manufacturer for many leading US brand labels such as Levis, Jones of New York, Dickies and Haggar, as well as being one of the largest apparel manufacturers in East and Central Africa.

Two companies represent Madagascar: Bodovoahangy which manufactures children's clothing for special occasions such as christenings and weddings, made from 100% cotton and embellished with handmade embroidery, smocking and pearling. The company has produced under contract for Ralph Lauren children's wear; Iris Madagascar specializes in added value production which includes hand embroidery, addition of spangles, rhinestones etc. in addition to the manufacture of sports and casual wear.

Ethiopian companies make up the largest contingent from the region, comprising: Kombochla textiles, manufactures of household linens; Novastar who manufacture knit and woven garments for athletic/sports and casual wear; Ras Dashen manufactures casual garments using knitted and synthetic fabrics; WOW Garments, the only company in the region to export suits into the U.S. The company is also in talks with a U.S based pilots association, HPI, about Pilots' uniform suits.

In order to create maximum impact at MAGIC, Africa participants from both East & West Africa, under the auspices of the ECA and West Africa Trade Hubs, will be set up together in the 'African Pavilion' to showcase over 30 companies from 10 countries. A special lounge located adjacent to the pavilion will allow buyers and sellers to interact throughout the duration of the trade show and will double as the site of a cocktail/networking event, during which the many facets of African culture and entrepreneurship will be highlighted. The potential income participating companies may gain from possible deals and thus add to their home economies is highlighted in the invitation to their Ambassadors to the U.S. to attend the show and visit the Pavilion.

Held twice yearly, Sourcing at MAGIC is THE location for more than 750 members of the apparel supply chain - contract manufacturers, fabric, trim and service providers - to present their products on the global stage, including the $180 billion U.S. clothing market.