Trump renews AGOA Act exempting exports from duties on 32 African countries
US President Donald Trump has signed a law renewing the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) until the end of 2026, after it expired last September, affecting thousands of jobs in several African countries and forcing exporters to bear high tariffs.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said that the law signed by Trump allows the activation of the trade preferences program with African countries until December 31, 2026, provided that it will come into effect retroactively as of September 30, 2025, the date of its expiration.
“The 21st Century AGOA Act should require more from business partners and allow more markets to be opened up to American businesses, farmers and ranchers,” Greer said in a statement.
In his statement, Greer pledged to work with Congress over the next year to update the program in line with current US policy.
The AGOA Act covers 32 African countries, thanks to which the value of African exports to the United States reached $8.23 billion in 2024, half of which came from South Africa and a fifth came from Nigeria, according to data from the US International Trade Commission.
For a quarter of a century, the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act, which exempts the exports of the countries concerned to the United States from tariffs, has been a key pillar of trade relations between Washington and Africa.
