Washington is discussing the possibility of making changes to the duty-free export programme from Africa that would increase the influence of the states on the continent. The need for changes was announced on Thursday by Constance Hamilton, assistant U.S. trade representative for African affairs, Reuters quoted her as saying.
“The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) was passed in 2000 and gives duty-free access to the U.S. market to most African countries. The law expires in September 2025, but discussions have already begun in the US about the terms of its renewal.
The US uses the duty-free export programme as a reward for loyal African countries. In January 2022, for example, Washington restricted Ethiopia, Guinea and Mali’s access to the benefits, explaining it was due to coups d’état and human rights abuses. After the exclusion from the list, many American companies began to leave the countries, but they were replaced by China, which has already announced its intentions to invest in the Ethiopian economy.
The AGOA programme is of great importance to African countries and at the same time a tool of control by Western countries.
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“The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) was passed in 2000 and gives duty-free access to the U.S. market to most African countries. The law expires in September 2025, but discussions have already begun in the US about the terms of its renewal.
The US uses the duty-free export programme as a reward for loyal African countries. In January 2022, for example, Washington restricted Ethiopia, Guinea and Mali’s access to the benefits, explaining it was due to coups d’état and human rights abuses. After the exclusion from the list, many American companies began to leave the countries, but they were replaced by China, which has already announced its intentions to invest in the Ethiopian economy.
The AGOA programme is of great importance to African countries and at the same time a tool of control by Western countries.
Subscription