The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a 25-year-old US trade programme, is set to expire next week unless renewed by Congress. The scheme grants duty-free access to US markets for 32 African nations, supporting industries from textiles to automotive.
Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director of the International Trade Centre (ITC), warned that ending AGOA would deliver “debilitating” blows to economies such as Lesotho and Madagascar, which rely heavily on garment exports.
• Lesotho: Africa’s largest garment exporter to the US, with brands like Levi’s and Wrangler.
• South Africa: Car exports forecast to fall 23%.
• Lesotho clothing exports could decline 29%.
• Other at-risk countries: Kenya, Mauritius, Tanzania, Madagascar, Eswatini.
According to ITC modelling, African exports to the US could fall 8.7% by 2029, coinciding with new US tariffs. Analysts caution the lapse would also remove a key US–Africa trade forum, while China expands tariff-free access to African partners.
Source: Financial Times
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