AGWA deal extension amid US fee concerns
The U.S. Congress has approved the extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) until 2028, which allows eligible African countries to export thousands of products to the U.S. market duty-free, provided they make progress in economic reforms, human rights, and anti-corruption measures. The extension aims to strengthen U.S. influence in Africa, especially in countering China's trade dominance, which has replaced tariffs on imports from 53 African countries with duty-free policies, making China the largest trading partner in the continent. Although the law has enhanced access to critical minerals to support the U.S. economy, trade tensions have persisted, notably with the imposition of additional tariffs in July 2026 on some African countries accused of forced labor violations. This highlights that the benefits of the law are relatively limited and heavily dependent on long-term policy stability.
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