非洲可能是美国企业的大好商机

The International Monetary Fund says China's exports to Africa last year totaled $54 billion, while U.S. exports were at a much lower $21 billion.

Many major U.S. companies have had a foothold in Africa for years, led by soft drink maker Coca-Cola, and more recently other major U.S. companies are following, like Microsoft, IBM, Google, Procter and Gamble, General Electric, Boeing, Harley-Davidson, Wal-Mart and Caterpillar, to name a few. Companies with oil and mining interests have had a steady presence as well.

很多美国大公司已经在非洲立足多年。带头的是软饮料制造商可口可乐公司。最近，其他的大公司也相继跟进，例如微软公司、国际商业机器公司IBM、谷歌公司、宝洁公司、通用电器公司、波音公司、哈雷－戴维森公司、沃尔玛，以及卡特彼勒公司等等。与石油和矿产有关的美国公司也持续在非洲投资。

Development experts say smaller companies which have something to offer for Africa's growing middle class and infrastructure needs should also take a close look. A former U.S. ambassador in Africa, David Shinn, says the U.S. government should do more to help nervous companies take their first steps.

开发专家说，能为非洲越来越多的中产阶级提供商品或迎合非洲基础设施需要的较小规模公司也应该密切注意非洲市场。前美国驻埃塞俄比亚大使大卫.辛表示，美国政府应该采取更多措施，帮助美国公司走出第一步。

"Part of it is cajoling the American private sector, having perhaps a major conference led by the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Commerce or the president even to bring in potential investors and encouraging them to go to Africa," said Shinn.

他说：“吸引美国民间企业的部分做法或许可以是举行一次大型会议，由国务卿、商业部长或总统主持，甚至可以请来可能的投资者，并且鼓励他们到非洲去。”

J. Peter Pham from the Atlantic Council says U.S. entrepreneurs unfamiliar with the continent have mostly negative perceptions.

大西洋理事会的非洲事务专家拉姆说，不熟悉非洲的美国企业家对非洲有很大的负面感受。

"Often the news coverage out of Africa is all about disasters, natural or human and other calamities, and not about the opportunities for economic growth for actually for profit in a win-win situation," he said.

拉姆说：“通常对非洲的新闻报导都是灾难，天灾、人祸或者其他灾害，而不是经济增长机会让企业确实能在双赢的情况下赚到钱。”

Increasing tax incentives, as well as the number of commercial staff members at U.S. embassies which has dropped in recent years, are some of the ideas being proposed by trade experts to help smaller U.S. companies better tackle Africa as a business opportunity.

提高税务奖励办法，以及增加美国大使馆的商务办事人员是贸易专家提出的部分构想。专家希望希望能借这些办法帮助美国公司较好地掌握非洲商机。