African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) trade programme participation by Gabon, Niger, Uganda, and the Central African Republic is set to end, according to U.S. President Joe Biden’s declaration.
President Biden made the declaration on Monday in reaction to what he terms as “gross violations” of internationally recognised human rights by Uganda and the Central African Republic. He also mentioned Gabon’s and Niger’s failure to develop or consistently advance political pluralism and the rule of law.
President Biden wrote, “Despite intensive engagement between the United States and the Central African Republic, Gabon, Niger, and Uganda, these countries have failed to address United States concerns about their non-compliance with the AGOA eligibility criteria.” The letter was addressed to the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. The designation of these countries as AGOA beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries will end on January 1, 2024, marking the effective date of this decision.
Additionally, President Biden reaffirmed his commitment to regularly assess whether these countries fulfil the prerequisites for programme eligibility. AGOA was established in 2000 to provide eligible nations with duty-free access to the US market for their goods. The program’s scheduled expiration date is September 2025, but talks about whether to extend it and how long to do so are already under way.
Aiming to reassure companies and prospective investors worried about the future of AGOA, industry associations and African countries are pushing for an early 10-year extension of the agreement without any changes.
