The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), the cornerstone of U.S.-Africa trade for the past 25 years, ends today, bringing an era of duty-free access to American markets to a close. The programme, first enacted in 2000, granted more than 30 African countries tariff-free entry for thousands of products, from textiles and apparel to cocoa and agricultural goods.
Its expiry immediately alters the trade landscape for countries such as Ghana, Lesotho, and Kenya, where entire industries have been built around AGOA’s preferential access. In Lesotho, textiles represent about 16 percent of GDP and employ tens of thousands of mostly female workers. In Ghana, non-traditional exports like apparel, shea products, and processed cocoa stand to face new costs as tariffs take effect.
While AGOA’s end has stirred concern across the continent, signals from Washington suggest there may still be a reprieve. Officials in the Trump administration have indicated support for a possible one-year renewal, though no legislation has yet been enacted. The prospect offers a sliver of hope to African exporters facing uncertainty and potential job losses.
President John Dramani Mahama, earlier this month, warned that renewal was unlikely after the U.S. imposed a 15 percent tariff on African exports. Calling AGOA “technically dead,” he argued that America’s protectionist turn had already eroded the framework that made the program effective. His remarks now resonate as businesses brace for the impact of the expiry.
For African governments, the end of AGOA underscores the urgency of diversifying trade. Many are looking inward to strengthen regional integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) while continuing to lobby Washington for a short-term fix.
Whether the U.S. will act on its signals remains uncertain. For now, AGOA’s 25-year run has come to an end, leaving African exporters facing a costlier path into the world’s largest economy.
