Siaka MOMOH
The United States Senate has approved a two-year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) which allows the US to buy billions of dollars of duty-free cars, clothes, and other items from 32 sub-Saharan African nations.
The ACT gives the countries duty-free access on more than 1,800 products until December 2028.
With the current agreement set to expire at the end of September, the extension is a relief for African businesses who depend on US exports.
US Senator Raphael Warnock, who helped secure the extension, said “it will lower the cost of everyday goods and improve our national security by helping stabilize the economies of our global partners.”
The African Growth and OpportunitAct (AGOA) is a U.S. trade policy enacted in May 2000 under the Clinton Administration. It was established to promote economic growth, deepen trade ties, and stimulate market reforms across sub-Saharan Africa (U.S. Trade Representative, 2023). The Act grants eligible African countries duty-free and quota-free access to the U.S. market for over 6,800 products, including textiles, agricultural goods, and manufactured items.
