The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), the US trade preference program benefiting sub-Saharan Africa since 2000, was at the heart of the 16th AfCFTA Council of Trade Ministers meeting on April 15, 2025, in Kinshasa.

“AGOA is due to expire in September,” South African Trade Minister Parks Tau told Radio 702 on April 10. “The continent’s trade ministers will meet to discuss a collective solution.” Formal talks between African nations and the US are planned for June or July.

However, Tau warned it “will be difficult to save the trade preference program” after recent US tariff hikes. On April 2, President Trump imposed tariffs ranging from 10% to 50% on imports from 51 African countries. A week later, he suspended these so-called “reciprocal” tariffs for 90 days but kept a 10% minimum rate.

Even this 10% tariff could effectively end AGOA. The program has allowed eligible African countries to export nearly 1,800 products duty-free to the US. Since 2000, Washington updates eligibility annually based on market economy commitment, rule of law, poverty reduction, and democratic progress.

During the Biden administration, a bipartisan Senate bill proposed extending AGOA until 2041. Still, with today’s protectionist rhetoric, the program’s renewal remains uncertain—despite surviving similar challenges during Trump’s first term.

This article was initially published in French by Walid Kéfi (Agence Ecofin)

Edited in English by Ola Schad Akinocho