US delists Burkina Faso from its Africa trade preference program

The United States has dropped Burkina Faso from its trade preference program citing deep concerns over “unconstitutional change” in government in the West African country, according to a statement by the office of the US Trade Representative (USTR).

The USTR’s office said Burkina Faso had failed to meet the requirements of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) statute and would be given “clear benchmarks” for a pathway towards reinstatement to the trade program, adding that Washington would work with Ouagadougou.

AGOA provides sub-Saharan African nations with duty-free access to the US if they meet specific eligibility requirements, including making progress towards political pluralism.

Frustrations over the government’s inability to curb activity by armed groups spurred two military coups in Burkina Faso in 2022. The previous and current military governments have made efforts to beef up security, but the attacks have continued.

On Monday January 2, the Burkinabe Ministry of Foreign Affairs reacted to the decision by repeating a November statement saying the timetable for a return to democracy had not changed. Burkina Faso had committed to returning to constitutional rule in 24 months in a July agreement with the West African regional bloc ECOWAS. Burkina Faso, one of the world’s poorest countries, has been in the grip of a conflict in which armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS) have killed thousands of civilians and created one of the continent’s fastest-growing humanitarian crises.

The United States had halted nearly $160 million in US aid to Burkina Faso after determining the ouster of President Roch Kabore in January 2022 constituted a military coup, triggering aid restrictions under US law.

In line with US law, US foreign aid – except funds to promote democracy – must be stopped to a country whose elected head of government is deposed by military coup or in a coup in which the military plays a decisive role.