Seventeen African countries, including Ethiopia, Uganda and Zimbabwe, remain in trade limbo even as the African Union (AU) welcomed the US House of Representatives’ approval of a three-year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
The AU has urged the US Senate to swiftly pass the measure to secure continued trade ties between the America and the continent.
Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, chairperson of the African Union Commission, described AGOA as “a cornerstone of US–Africa economic relations,” noting that the programme has supported industrialisation, job creation and the development of regional value chains across Africa for more than two decades.
He called on Washington to approve the extension “in a spirit that upholds partnership and shared strategic interests.”
The extension, passed through H.R. 6500, would keep AGOA in force until December 31, 2028, providing greater certainty for US companies sourcing goods from sub-Saharan Africa and allowing Congress time to consider broader reforms to the programme.
Despite the extension, several African countries remain excluded from AGOA eligibility. These include Burundi, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon and Guinea, as well as Mali, Niger, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan.
According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), Sudan was “not reviewed for eligibility because it has not requested designation as an AGOA beneficiary country.”
The USTR also said Equatorial Guinea and Seychelles are not eligible for AGOA consideration because they have graduated from the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP). Somalia, it added, first expressed interest in AGOA eligibility in 2023.
But 32 African countries currently retain preferential access under AGOA. Eligible countries include Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Namibia, Malawi, Angola, Tanzania, Ghana, Botswana and Togo, according to the USTR’s latest update released in December 2025.
Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most populous nation, was removed from the programme in January 2022 over human rights concerns linked to the Tigray conflict. Its exclusion has largely remained despite sustained diplomatic efforts to regain access.
AGOA eligibility is reviewed annually and is based on criteria including adherence to the rule of law, political pluralism, anti-corruption measures, intellectual property protection, respect for human rights and market access standards, alongside broader US national security and foreign policy considerations.
Ethiopia’s suspension has had significant economic consequences, particularly for its textile and apparel industries, which were among the biggest beneficiaries of AGOA.
The loss of duty-free access led to factory closures and job losses, disproportionately affecting women employed in export-oriented manufacturing.
As of early 2026, the country remains ineligible for AGOA benefits despite repeated requests for reinstatement.
Experts say rejoining the programme could provide a meaningful boost to exporters in textiles, horticulture and other labour-intensive sectors, as the country seeks to revive growth and shore up foreign exchange earnings.
