US Prez Trump renews lapsed AGOA pact with Africa till Dec 31, 2026

AGOA provides eligible sub-Saharan African countries with duty-free access to the US market for over 1,800 products, in addition to the more than 5,000 products that are eligible for duty-free access under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programme.

President Donald Trump signed into law a reauthorisation of the trade preference programme.

"AGOA for the 21st century must demand more from our trading partners and yield more market access for US businesses, farmers, and ranchers," Greer said in a statement.

Greer vowed to "work with Congress over the next year to modernise the programme to align with" current US policy.

AGOA has allowed the United States to buy billions of dollars of duty-free cars, clothes and other items from 32 African countries each year.

AGOA’s expiry last September affected thousands of jobs in Africa and led to high tariff duties on US imports from the continent. In 2024, $8.23 billion worth of goods were exported under the pact, according to the United States International Trade Commission.

Welcoming the renewal, Beth Hughes, AAFA’s vice president of trade and customs policy, said, “The industry welcomes this long-awaited renewal. While the retroactive nature of this passage supports the industry on time lost, proactive and long-term renewal is what is needed for predictability, investment, and economic viability to support the US jobs anchored by these programmes. We look forward to immediately working with Congress and the Administration on this approach to ensure these programs are timely renewed well before their expiration on December 31, 2026.”

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)