US Restores Trade Preferences for 32 African Nations with AGOA Reauthorization
The United States has renewed the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), restoring duty-free access to the US market for 32 African nations. President Donald Trump signed legislation on Tuesday, , reauthorizing the trade preference program through December 31, 2026, with retroactive effect to September 30, 2025 – the date it had previously expired.
“AGOA for the 21st century must demand more from our trading partners and yield more market access for US businesses, farmers, and ranchers,” said US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in a statement. Greer also indicated the administration intends to “work with Congress over the next year to modernize the program to align with” President Trump’s America First trade policy.
The reauthorization averts what many governments feared would be a prolonged disruption to trade flows and jobs across the African continent. AGOA, a cornerstone of US-Africa trade relations for 25 years, allows the US to import billions of dollars in duty-free goods each year, including cars, clothing, and other items, from eligible African nations.
The lapse in AGOA, which expired last September, had major consequences for African exporters, triggering job losses and forcing companies to absorb higher tariffs. In 2024, $8.23 billion in goods were exported to the US under AGOA, according to the United States International Trade Commission (USITC).
South Africa accounted for half of that amount, with exports largely consisting of cars, precious metals, and agricultural products. Nigeria contributed approximately one-fifth of the total, primarily through oil and energy shipments.
Smaller economies dependent on AGOA were particularly hard hit. Lesotho’s textiles industry, the nation’s largest employer, faced immediate strain after the program expired. Hundreds of workers demonstrated in the capital, Maseru, in late October against cuts sparked by the new American customs tariffs. Lesotho exported $150 million of goods under the accord in 2024.
AGOA eligibility requires countries to establish or make continual progress toward establishing a market-based economy, the rule of law, political pluralism, and the right to due process. Countries must also eliminate barriers to US trade and investment, enact policies to reduce poverty, combat corruption, and protect human rights.
The United States Trade Representative (USTR) will now work with relevant agencies to implement any modifications made to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States as a result of the AGOA reauthorization legislation.
Greer emphasized that the renewed AGOA should “provide more market access for U.S. Businesses, farmers and ranchers,” signaling a potential shift in the program’s focus to better serve American economic interests.
