US President Donald Trump has signed a one-year extension to the flagship African Growth and Opportunity Act AGOA in a move that will be welcomed by African exporters but which leaves the long-term future of US-Africa trade clouded in uncertainty.
The act - which has provided African manufacturers in eligible countries with tariff-free access to the US market for over a quarter of a century - has been extended to December 31, 2026, with retroactive effect from September 30, 2025, when it was allowed to lapse by the administration.
While the extension of the act provides some certainty to eligible African exporters to the USA, it will disappoiont those hoping for a three-year extension following an earlier proposal that passed the House of Representatives. The legislation was amended by the Senate to a one year extension before it reached the president's desk.
