US Senate votes to extend AGOA trade programme for 32 African nations

The United States Senate has approved a two-year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, maintaining duty-free access on more than 1,800 products from eligible countries until December 2028.

A cornerstone of US-Africa trade relations for 25 years, AGOA has allowed the US to buy billions of dollars of duty-free cars, clothes, and other items from 32 sub-Saharan African nations.

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 legislation also extends two similar trade programs for Haiti, the Haiti Economic Lift Program (HELP), and the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership and Encouragement (HOPE).