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Kenya-US to deepen ICT, apparel and agriculture trade
Kenya and United States are in talks to identify areas of interest in information communication technology (ICT) sector that can interest US firms. A meeting between The US Ambassador to Kenya, Megan Whitman, and the Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade, and Industry Rebecca Miano, the states sought cooperation in six key areas. The meeting laid the groundwork for an enhanced collaboration between Kenya and the United States in Apparel Sector by leveraging Kenya's renewable energy and young population for supply chain...
Prosper Africa coordinates 17 US agencies to help boost Africa’s low participation in AGOA
The US has mobilised 17 relevant government departments and agencies under the umbrella of Prosper Africa coordinator British Robinson to try to clinch deals between US and African businesses that will increase utilisation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa). The 20th annual Agoa Forum ended in Johannesburg at the weekend with an all-round commitment by Africa and the US to renew the preferential trade programme when it expires in 2025. There was also considerable discussion about how to increase the usage by eligible...
US Senator Chris Coons proposes AGOA extension by 16 years, immediate review of SA’s AGOA eligibility
Powerful US Democratic Party Senator Chris Coons is circulating a discussion draft of a Bill to renew the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) for 16 years that would also require an immediate “out-of-cycle” review of South Africa’s eligibility for Agoa. That could lead to South Africa being removed next year from the programme, which has provided considerable benefits to SA exporters to the US of cars, fruits and wine, in particular. Coons released the draft Bill on Monday, after the annual Agoa Forum was held...
AGOA extension crucial for Ghana’s industrialisation
The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah-Adjei is supporting the push for the extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) to enhance trade between Ghana and the US. A United States Trade Act enacted on 18 May 2000 as Public Law 106 of the 200th Congress, the AGOA legislation has been renewed on different occasions, most recently in 2015, when its period of validity was extended to September 2025. The legislation significantly enhances market access to the US for qualifying Sub-Saharan African (SSA)...
US-Africa program (AGOA) should be extended through 2041, Senate Democrat says, proposes legislation [Download]
A trade program that grants exports from qualifying African countries duty-free access to the U.S. market should be extended by 16 years, said Democratic Senator Chris Coons, a leading voice on U.S.-Africa policy. Talks are underway for the renewal of the two-decade-old African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which is due to expire in 2025. African countries want a 10-year renewal of the pact ahead of the 2024 U.S. election. President Joe Biden's administration is also seeking the program's reauthorization but has called for certain...
AGOA benefits extend beyond trade [incl. VIDEO of Friday's opening session]
Economies in Sub-Saharan countries stand to benefit far more from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) than notable trade statistics, says President Cyril Ramaphosa. “AGOA enhances the diversification of African economies, enabling them to export value-added products. By enabling African countries to have preferential access to the US market, this opportunity incentivises African countries to develop and export value-added goods and services. This does and will continue to reduce Africa's dependence on primary commodities and...
Protection likely for African countries that outgrow AGOA
The improved agreement of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), due to expire in 2025, is likely to have fewer requirements for graduation from the programme to avoid beneficiaries losing out on the lucrative commercial ties with the US, says a top Washington diplomat. The legislation, which was enacted in 2000 and allows Sub-Saharan African countries preferential access to US markets, requires that beneficiaries be graduated out of the programme once they reach a certain level of development. But US trade representative Katherine...
Uganda criticises US plan to exclude it from duty-free trade programme
Uganda on Wednesday criticised a US move to eject it and other African countries from accessing a tariff-free trade programme, saying the action was to punish African countries that are resisting the imposition of the West's cultural values. US President Joe Biden said on Monday that he intended to end the participation of Uganda, Gabon, Niger and the Central African Republic in the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) trade program. Uganda and Central Africa Republic would be blocked because of "gross violations" of internationally...
Beyond 2025: The AGOA summit’s bid for extended economic ties on the continent
The recent AGOA summit in Johannesburg beckoned calls for its extension beyond September 2025. With a backdrop of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict and US-Africa relations at a delicate juncture, the summit explored the potential reshaping of trade norms, eyeing a more balanced economic relationship. The annual African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) summit was held in Johannesburg, South Africa last week, amidst landmark changes, with calls for its renewal beyond the current expiry in September 2025. It was also announced that four...
South Africa pins its hopes on an early 2024 US Congress renewal of AGOA
South Africa’s government is hoping that the process to renew the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) by the US Congress will be concluded by early 2024, ensuring that more than 20 African countries continue to have duty-free access to the world’s largest economy. This is the first time that the South African government has given a timeline for when it hopes the US Congress might extend Agoa, which has been renewed twice since it was launched in 2000, and is due to expire in September 2025. In his closing...
New deal for African, US companies to partner under AfCFTA
African and US companies will soon enjoy a partnership of trading and investment building on provisions provided under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). This is according to a new Memorandum of Understanding signed between the AfCFTA Secretariat and Corporate Council on Africa – an American organisation devoted to fostering US-Africa business relations – with an aim to increase private sector support and involvement in realising the goals of the continental trade agreement. The MOU is articulated around key sectors...
AGOA: US vows to support regional integration
The United States says it is committed to supporting regional integration in Africa, seeing it as essential for the continent's economic development and prosperity. At a conference on the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) in Johannesburg, US officials said they were backing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), even though there will be variations on country specific trading arrangements. Agoa is a trade agreement that provides duty-free access to the US market for special categories of products from eligible...
Remarks by USTR Ambassador Katherine Tai at the closing ceremony of the 20th AGOA Forum
United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai today delivered remarks during the closing ceremony of the 20th African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum. In her remarks, Ambassador Tai reiterated the United States’ commitment to strengthen the U.S.-Africa trade and investment relationship to deliver real opportunities across our societies. Ambassador Tai also highlighted the need to make the AGOA program more effective and relevant to today’s challenges, and to explore additional areas of cooperation to complement the...
‘Time is of the essence’ as African leaders seek AGOA refinements
African leaders are asking for refinements to the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), rather than a full review, according to trade and industry minister Ebrahim Patel. Patel was giving his closing remarks during the final stretch of the 20th Agoa forum. “We were clear that we did not want a major rewrite of Agoa. We’re not looking for Agoa to be scrapped and a complete rewrite,” the minister said. “We’re looking for refinements. And the reason for that is, every African minister who spoke emphasised that...
Africa to leverage East-West battle in AGOA talks
In 1998, Bill Clinton embarked on the longest and most extensive trip to Africa by any sitting US president in history at the time. His goal? To forge ties with a continent which was viewed as something of a backwater during the Cold War. During a speech he gave after meeting South Africa’s then president, Nelson Mandela, Clinton remarked that the hope for Africa’s future was stronger than it had been in a generation. Two years later, he signed the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) into law, putting the...
US committed to ‘seamless’ AGOA renewal, USTR Tai says
The US aims to ensure that its preferential trade pact with Africa is replaced without interruption when it expires in two-year’s time, while bringing it up to date. “We want to make sure that as of Sept. 30, 2025, that there will be another Agoa that will pick up from this one,” said US Trade Representative Katherine Tai, referring to the African Growth and Opportunity Act. “It is a seamless renewal that we’re looking for,” she said in an interview with Bloomberg Television in Johannesburg broadcast on...
US president Biden wants to improve US-Africa trade programme, not just renew it - Blinken
President Joe Biden's administration wants to work with Congress to improve the United States' flagship trade programme with Africa, not just renew it without changes, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday. First launched in 2000, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) grants exports from qualifying African countries duty-free access to the United States - the world's largest consumer market. It is due to expire in September 2025, and discussions are currently under way over what would be its...
US faces tricky questions with African trade group
As the United States seeks to deepen its relationships with African nations and counter the influence of rivals like Russia and China, it confronts a tricky question: How does it respond when countries do things that run afoul of Washington’s stated commitment to democracy and human rights? That tension hung over a major trade conference between the U.S. and African countries that started in Johannesburg this week, after President Biden announced that he was suspending four nations from a critical trade program that aims to...
AGOA needs at least 10-year extension, AU, ministers, say
Africa wants the US Congress to renew its flagship trade programme for the continent for at least 10 years, the African Union’s top trade official said on Thursday, adding that any modifications to the initiative should only be considered later. Speaking at the start of three days of meetings of African trade ministers and US officials, AU Trade Commissioner Albert Muchanga also said the United States will not be granted tariff free access to a new African free trade area. First launched in 2000, the African Growth and...
Africa pushes for three-year AGOA reviews
African trade ministers, including South Africa’s, are pushing for the annual eligibility reviews of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) to be conducted every three years instead of annually to allow for predictability and certainty for investors. This is after four beneficiary countries, Uganda, Niger, the Central African Republic and Gabon, were kicked out of the trade programme on the eve of the forum’s annual summit in Johannesburg partially because of human rights issues. Agoa requires that US legislators conduct annual...
AGOA Forum: Has the US trade pact helped Africa?
The future of what was billed as a game-changing trade agreement between Africa and the US is up for discussion in the South African city of Johannesburg over the next few days, with calls for it to be turned into a much longer-term pact, despite some criticism of the deal. The African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) was signed into law by former United States President Bill Clinton in May 2000, in a bid to improve trade and investment ties with sub-Saharan Africa on the basis that the best way to raise living standards on the continent...
Statement from President Biden on AGOA reauthorization
I strongly support reauthorization of the African Growth and Opportunity Act— a landmark, bipartisan law that has formed a bedrock for U.S. trade with sub-Saharan Africa for more than two decades. I encourage Congress to reauthorize AGOA in a timely fashion and to modernize this important Act for the economic opportunities of the coming decade. AGOA is facilitating private-sector led economic growth across sub-Saharan Africa by increasing the competitiveness of African products, diversifying African exports, and enabling the creation of...
Statement from USTR Tai on the AGOA eligibility review, Mauritania to be reinstated
President Biden decided to reinstate African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) trade preference program benefits for one country, Mauritania, and to terminate benefits for four countries – Gabon, Niger, the Central African Republic, and Uganda – effective January 1, 2024. Based on the results of the annual AGOA eligibility review, Mauritania’s eligibility will be reinstated based on progress that it has made with respect to the 2019 termination of its benefits due to worker rights concerns, as well as the government’s willingness to...
Notice of intention to terminate AGOA preferences for Uganda, Gabon, Niger and the Central African Republic, reinstate Mauritania
Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Madam President:) In accordance with section 506A(a)(3)(B) of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2466a(a)(3)(B)), I am providing advance notification of my intent to terminate the designation of the Central African Republic, the Gabonese Republic (Gabon), Niger, and the Republic of Uganda (Uganda) as beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). I am taking this step because I have determined that the Central African Republic, Gabon, Niger, and...
US sets sights on improved AGOA
This was the message of a briefing by United States officials ahead of this week’s AGOA forum in Johannesburg, where the trade pact’s renewal will be discussed. The trade deal — which provides eligible sub-Saharan African countries with duty-free access to the US market — is due to expire in 2025. Agoa beneficiaries will be asking for the Act, which was signed into law during Bill Clinton’s administration, be renewed for another 10 years. “When Agoa was enacted in 2000, we hoped that it would be a game-changer for...
Senators Coons, Scott, colleagues call on Senate to prioritize reauthorizing AGOA [Letter]
U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) led 11 of their Senate colleagues in an open letter, urging Senate leadership to prioritize reauthorization of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) in the coming months. AGOA’s authorization expires in September 2025. The Senators write, “The African Growth and Opportunity Act is the foundation of the United States’ economic relationship with sub-Saharan Africa. By lowering the cost of trade and encouraging investment in the region, AGOA creates...
Stakeholders seek US Congress nod for AGOA’s extension
Ahead of the United States’ African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum, to be hosted by South Africa next week, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa, Constance Hamilton, has expressed hope that the U.S. Congress would renew AGOA once again and ensure increased support for regional integration in Africa. Hamilton spoke yesterday during a digital press briefing to highlight the importance of U.S.-Africa economic ties and the 20th AGOA Forum as an opportunity to receive feedback from African partners and private sector...
US official reveals Ethiopia’s request for AGOA eligibility ‘still pending’, decision unlikely at upcoming forum
A US State Department official has disclosed that the decision to reinstate Ethiopia’s eligibility for the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is “still pending”. Constance Hamilton, Assistant US Trade Representative for Africa, made this statement during a digital press briefing held on Thursday. “Those decisions are still pending,” Ms Hamilton told journalists from the continent, and that “there probably will not be an announcement at the time that we get to the AGOA Forum,” she said referring to the upcoming...
AGOA: South Africa ready to roll out the red carpet for the US
Trade, industry & competition minister Ebrahim Patel says SA is ready to roll out the red carpet for the US ahead of the 20th African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) forum taking place at Nasrec in Johannesburg next week. “What we are seeking to do is provide a platform in the discussion to reflect on the experience that the African continent and the US has had on Agoa, to look at how we can get more from the trade relationship by complementing Agoa with other measures and the common African position on Agoa, which is to have...
AGOA Forum 2023 Resources
The 2023 AGOA Forum will be taking place in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 2-4 November. It features a ministerial and private sector program, as well as a private sector expo, that includes B2B sourcing and matchmaking. Visit the AGOA.info Forum section by following this link or use the drop down menu in the menu bar. Downloads and links are also available in that section, including draft agenda details. As further information is finalised, additional details will be added. Selected background...
SA trade minister Patel expresses confidence at media briefing about South Africa’s continued inclusion in AGOA
Ahead of South Africa hosting the US-AfricaTrade and Economic Cooperation Forum – also called the AGOA Forum – from November 2 to 4, Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel on October 26 briefed the media on the state of readiness for the forum, expressing confidence that the South African government’s relations with the US were strong. Various South African stakeholders have been motivating for the extension and renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) US preferential trade...
Large African delegation expected to attend the AGOA Forum in South Africa
A large number of African Trade Ministers and their delegations are expected to attend the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum taking place in South Africa next week. “The US delegation at the Forum will be led by the US Trade Secretary Ambassador [Katherine Tai] together with members of the Congress, businesspeople and business delegation from around the continent,” Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel said. Addressing the media on the state of South Africa’s readiness to host the AGOA Forum in Sandton,...
AGOA Forum 2023: Digital press briefing with officials in the USTR and State Department [Transcript]
MODERATOR: All right. Good afternoon to everyone from the U.S. Department of State’s Africa Regional Media Hub. I welcome our participants logging in from across the continent and thank all of you for joining this discussion. Today, we are very pleased to be joined by the Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa Constance Hamilton and Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of African Affairs of the State Department Joy Basu. Our speakers will be discussing the importance of the U.S.-Africa...
South Africa trade minister Patel to brief media on state of readiness for AGOA Forum on 26 October [WATCH]
Members of the media are invited to attend and cover a crucial engagement where the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr Ebrahim Patel will provide a comprehensive update on South Africa's preparedness for hosting the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum, along with insights into the forthcoming program. Your attendance and coverage are highly valued. Event Details: Date : Thursday, 26 October 2023Time : 09:45Venue...
Business Leadership SA calls for business to capitalise on South Africa’s hosting of AGOA Forum
It is notable that South Africa will still host the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Private Sector Forum next month, given that several US lawmakers have called for it to be moved elsewhere, and have questioned the country’s preferential trade terms with the US under Agoa as such preferential access to the US markets is open only to African countries that do not threaten American security interests. This is according to business organisation Business Leadership...
US senator wants AGOA in place until 2045 to deter China’s influence
The legislation that allows Sub-Saharan African countries, including SA, preferential access to US markets could be extended by 20 years beyond 2025 if the US Congress approves a bill introduced by Louisiana senator John Kennedy. Kennedy wants the legislation extended to 2045 because it would help deter “China’s growing influence throughout the region. This extension would allow the US to keep working closely with African nations to grow our economies, reduce poverty and ensure that US values prevail in the region,” according to a...
'South Africa expected to retain its AGOA status despite differences with US'
It is almost certain that South Africa’s Agoa status will be renewed despite it and the US often being on opposite sides over geopolitical crises in the past year. The eligibility of countries for the US’s African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) has been under review during the past few months, and it is becoming clearer that South Africa is one of the countries that will continue being a part of the trade programme. A strong indication of this is that the annual AGOA Forum will take place in Johannesburg between 1-4...
How can the US and Africa build on AGOA to boost trade relations?
The Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is unilateral and non-reciprocal US legislation that aims to promote trans-border trade between the US and African nations. It enables the US to give preferential trade benefits to African countries that satisfy eligibility requirements: these include social, political and economic governance targets. In 2019, however, the emergence of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) created uncertainties over the renewal of AGOA, which expires in 2025. Some observers suggested that instead...
Optimism as Kenya-US trade deal enters 3rd round of negotiations
Trade negotiations between Kenya and the United States entered the third round last week, with four items listed for negotiations. The Kenya-US Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership (STIP) negotiations, held from October 4-7 in Washington DC, covered agriculture and sanitary and phytosanitary measures, services, domestic regulations, anti-corruption; and women, youth among others. The Kenyan trade team also held discussions with staff from the US Congress and Senate, a significant step in seeking approval from both Houses should...
South Africa: Entrepreneurial sisters venture into US market [WATCH]
It was a drive to explore international trade that saw entrepreneurial sisters, Michelle and Mo Mokone, grabbing an opportunity to venture into the United States of America market. The pair are the co-owners of Mo’s Crib, a company that produces a range of handmade home décor products. Their product range includes handwoven baskets, planters, trays, wall art and home outdoor items. It was in 2021 that the pair decided to take advantage of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a United States Trade Act, which was enacted...
US Senator Kennedy introduces bill to extend AGOA by 20 years
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today introduced the AGOA Extension Act of 2023, a bill that would extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) through September 2045. The AGOA has been key in helping the United States work with sub-Saharan Africa to facilitate trade, reduce poverty, promote democracy and counter China’s growing influence in the region. “The African Growth and Opportunity Act has been the cornerstone of economic ties between the United States and Africa. Over the next two decades, the AGOA will play a pivotal role in...
US-South Africa relations in focus as AGOA decision nears
By serendipity I found myself attending a hearing in the US Capitol last week on the US-SA bilateral relationship. Such hearings are easy for members of the public to access and, given an afternoon free in Washington between other meetings, I attended. The most striking feature of the hearings was the common refrain that the ANC was failing. It was taken as a given that the ANC is delivering poor governance. US support was framed as needing to support the people and institutions of democracy, largely against the ineffective governance...
South Africa’s access under AGOA helps neighbouring countries, says country's trade minister
SA is to argue strongly that its participation in the Africa Growth and Opportunities Act (Agoa) benefits neighbouring countries through shared value chains, said trade, industry and competition minister Ebrahim Patel on Tuesday. The argument will be made in November when the Agoa forum meets in Johannesburg that neighbouring countries will suffer significant losses if SA is excluded from the scheme, which provides preferential access to certain products from Africa to the US market. The forum will bring together the governments of the US...
Securing Africa’s future beyond AGOA
The World Economic Forum in Davos this year acknowledged a world grappling with multiple crises characterised by Covid-19, conflicts, soaring living costs, and climate change. Amid these challenges, Africa's economic potential is garnering global recognition. Its emerging role in markets and geopolitics is set to expand, driven by its natural resources and promising economic prospects. This reality underscores the urgency for Africa to confront its trade-related hurdles, including convoluted regulations, restricted market access, and...
Department of Trade, Industry and Competition invites media to apply for accreditation for upcoming AGOA Forum [Deadline 8 October 2023]
The South African Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) will be co-hosting the United States of America’s African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum for 2023. The summit takes place on 2– 4 November 2023 in Johannesburg. Members of the media who wish to cover the event are requested to fill in the accreditation form and send it back to Charles Mnisi on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.(link sends e-mail) to comply with state security requirements. The deadline for submission of the forms is 8 October...
Will Biden visit Africa this year?
President Joe Biden’s agenda is chock-full with many competing and challenging issues. Nevertheless, at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit last December, the president said that he would visit Africa in 2023. No details have been made public, but hopefully planning is well underway for what would be the first visit to the continent by a U.S. president since President Obama went to Kenya and Ethiopia in 2015. While the administration will inevitably have its own objectives for the visit, here we share ours and a recommended...
Renewed commitment: South Africa to host AGOA summit amid calls for extension
South Africa is set to host the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Summit later this year, despite recent diplomatic tensions between the country and the United States (US). In June this year, US legislators called for the relocation of the summit due to controversy surrounding alleged arms shipments to Russia by South Africa. Cleared of any wrongdoing by an internal judicial panel, the US has reaffirmed its commitment to shared growth with South Africa. “The AGOA Forum is an opportunity for the United States to build upon the...
South Africa confirmed as AGOA host country for 2023
United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai and South African Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Ebrahim Patel today announced that the Government of South Africa will host the 20th US-sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum (AGOA Forum) in Johannesburg, from November 2-4, 2023. The Forum will bring together the governments of the United States and AGOA-eligible countries, as well as representatives from key regional economic organizations, the private sector, civil society, and labor. Over the course of the...
South Africa well positioned as Africa's industrial centre: President Ramaphosa
President Cyril Ramaphosa has told American business representatives that Africa is ready for new investment and strong partnerships. The President was delivering remarks at the US - South Africa Trade and Investment Business Roundtable Dialogue in New York on Monday. “Africa is ready for new investment and strong partnerships. South Africa is well positioned as the continent’s industrial centre, with deep capital markets, the rule of law, protection of property rights and a dynamic and youthful population. “The...
US Chamber of Commerce hosts South African president Ramaphosa to deepen bilateral trade, investment ties
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is organizing a record number of meetings and events on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) to help foster public-private collaboration and underscore the indispensable role of the private sector in realizing the UN’s global targets. As part of this effort, the U.S. Chamber’s U.S.-Africa Business Center (USAfBC) today hosted the U.S.-South Africa Trade and Investment Executive Dialogue with the President of the Republic of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa. President Ramaphosa...