First Independent Mena Newspaper
As the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) quietly expired on 30 September, uncertainty looms over U.S.–Africa trade ties, though business leaders and policy experts insist this is “no cliff edge,” as African Report calls it — but a wake-up call. At the recent Global Africa Summit in Washington, D.C., U.S. trade advisors said African […]
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 […]
Africa’s trade with China has surged 25% in 2025, reaching $122 billion in just seven months — on track to exceed $200 billion for the first time, yet beneath the boom lies a widening trade imbalance and growing concern over Africa’s long-term economic autonomy, experts warn. While U.S.-Africa trade has declined, especially under President Donald […]
With the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) set to expire in September, Kenya has launched last-minute negotiations with the United States to secure a bilateral trade agreement that could reshape its economic future. A high-level Kenyan delegation, led by Trade Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui, held talks in Washington with U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson […]
African nations are racing against time to renegotiate trade terms with the United States, as sweeping tariffs — initially set to begin 1 August — now loom for 7 August following a last-minute executive order by President Donald Trump. Trump’s latest executive order slaps a uniform 15% tariff on most African exports — threatening industries […]
African exports to the United States are projected to drop by as much as 21.5% as new U.S. tariffs take effect, according to joint research by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), African Union Commission (AUC), and African Development Bank (AfDB). The protectionist move, part of a broader trade policy under President Donald Trump, has […]
South African car exports to the United States have plummeted dramatically, falling over 70% in the first quarter of 2025, and tumbling further to 80% in April and 85% in May, 2025, following the imposition of steep tariffs by US President Donald J. Trump. The automotive industry, which relies heavily on the US market under […]
As Africa moves to the center of global economic and strategic importance, a new Brookings Institution policy brief urges the Trump administration to craft a bold, forward-looking U.S.-Africa strategy that aligns American interests with Africa’s rapid transformation. The report highlights four key pillars — power, prosperity, peace, and principles with soft power — through which […]
Talks over the future of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) are set to begin by July, but African nations face growing uncertainty as U.S. tariffs threaten to undermine the landmark trade pact. AGOA, which since 2000 has granted duty-free access to the United States for eligible sub-Saharan African exports, is scheduled to expire […]
Amid a deepening U.S.-China trade war, Beijing has issued a stern warning to nations — particularly in Africa — not to strike trade deals with the United States “at the expense of China’s interests,” raising the stakes for countries already grappling with economic strain. China’s Ministry of Commerce declared it “will never accept it and […]