The United States Bureau of African Affairs has reiterated Washington’s commitment to modernising the African Growth and Opportunity Act, signalling that any long-term renewal of the landmark trade programme will come with greater demands on African beneficiary countries to open their markets and attract American investment.
In a statement posted on X, the bureau said the United States wants to work with African countries willing to take the steps necessary to attract investment and create economic opportunities on both sides of the arrangement.
“We want to work with African countries that are willing to take the steps necessary to attract investment and create opportunities. This is why the United States remains committed to modernising AGOA; we want to see strides that will benefit American workers, eliminate barriers to trade, and create new avenues for U.S. businesses,” the bureau said.
The statement comes months after President Donald Trump signed into law a one-year extension of AGOA on February 3, 2026, as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, reauthorising the programme through December 31, 2026, with retroactive effect to September 30, 2025, when the previous authorisation expired.
The extension also reinstated Gabon as an eligible beneficiary country after it lost its preferential trade status in 2023 for failing to meet mandatory requirements for economic and political progress.
The U.S. Trade Representative’s office has since invited public comments on the modernisation of AGOA, with Ambassador Jamieson Greer stressing that a modern programme must deepen economic ties between the United States and sub-Saharan Africa by benefiting American workers, eliminating trade barriers and creating new opportunities for U.S. businesses.
“AGOA for the 21st century must demand more from our trading partners and yield more market access for US businesses, farmers, and ranchers to build upon the benefits it has historically provided to Africa and the United States,” Greer said.
The long-term status of AGOA beyond December 2026 remains uncertain, with AGOA-eligible imports not exempt from Trump’s 2025 tariff actions, which impose 10 to 30 percent reciprocal tariffs on most African goods, adding pressure on African governments to negotiate favourable terms before the year-end deadline.
First enacted in 2000, AGOA grants eligible sub-Saharan African countries duty-free access to the U.S. market for more than 1,800 products in addition to over 5,000 products covered under the Generalised System of Preferences, making it one of the most significant pillars of American economic engagement with the continent.
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