As Trump backs 1-year AGOA extension, Africa braces for trade shake-up

The Trump administration has backed a one-year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) just as the two-decade-old trade agreement was set to expire on 30 September.
While the move offers temporary relief, it has done little to dispel mounting fears over the future of U.S.-Africa trade. AGOA, first passed in 2000, provides duty-free access to the U.S. market for thousands of products from eligible sub-Saharan African nations. It has supported hundreds of thousands of jobs, particularly in textiles, agriculture, and manufacturing. Countries like Kenya, Lesotho, and Eswatini have built entire industries around its benefits. But the Trump administration’s broader protectionist agenda threatens to undo AGOA’s impact. Reciprocal tariffs imposed this year — ranging from 10% to 30% — have already hit exports like apparel and tuna, undermining the duty-free edge AGOA once guaranteed.
Despite bipartisan support in Congress, a longer-term AGOA renewal has stalled. African leaders, manufacturers, and trade unions continue to lobby Washington, warning that over a million jobs could be lost without it. “AGOA is the breadbasket of many people in very critical sectors,” said Hod Anyigba of ITUC-Africa. Some African countries are now hedging their bets. Kenya is pursuing a bilateral deal with the United States, while others look inward, promoting intra-African trade through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Still, many fear that AGOA’s slow demise signals a deeper disengagement by the U.S. from Africa — a void that China and other powers are eager to fill.