Malawi - National AGOA Strategy
This document contains a National Response Strategy for Malawi for the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) trade preference program. This strategy provides a comprehensive plan for increasing exports from Malawi to the United States under the AGOA nonreciprocal unilateral trade preference program and attracting more U.S. investment into Malawi.
Although a beneficiary country under AGOA since its inception in May 2000, Malawi has not significantly utilized the trade preference opportunities offered by the AGOA program. According to USITC Tariff Database, Malawi exports under AGOA (excl. GSP) were US$56.1 million in 2011, mainly consisting of tobacco, and the exports declined to US$46.3 in 2012 before peaking at US$57.4 in 2014. The sharpest decline since 2011 has so far been in 2015 when the AGOA exports went down to about US$41.0 million.
However, AGOA exports from Malawi increased by 10% in 2016 to about US$44.9. Total AGOA and GSP exports followed the same trend. Malawi has exported mainly tobacco and limited amounts of macadamia nuts, cane sugar, textiles and apparel (garments) under the AGOA program. In addition, Malawi also exported lentils, basketwork, pigeon peas and household articles under GSP. This National AGOA Response Strategy for Malawi was developed in line with the recommendations of the AGOA Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015 and is aligned with the objectives of the Malawi National Export Strategy (NES) 2013-2018.
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