African exporters have regained duty-free access to the United States market after Washington formally extended the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) through a new presidential proclamation, restoring a key trade pathway for dozens of African economies.
The proclamation, issued by President Donald J. Trump, implements provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, which renewed AGOA and extended its trade preferences through December 31, 2026.
The programme briefly lapsed at the end of September 2025 after Congress failed to renew it, creating uncertainty for African exporters. It was restored in February 2026 when President Donald Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, extending AGOA retroactively to the end of 2026.
The recent presidential proclamation on May 19, 2026, then formally implemented the extension, updated U.S. tariff schedules, and reinstated Gabon as a beneficiary country, confirming AGOA’s return as a short-term arrangement without long-term reform or certainty.
AGOA remains one of Washington’s most significant trade frameworks with sub-Saharan Africa, allowing eligible countries to export thousands of products including textiles, agricultural goods, automotive components, and light manufactured goods without paying import duties.
