The United States has reauthorized a key trade initiative with African countries, extending it for one year through December 31, 2026, after it briefly expired on September 30, 2025.
The extension is under a trade framework called the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which gives eligible sub-Saharan African nations duty-free access to the U.S. market for over 1,800 products, including clothing, agricultural goods, and manufactured items.
President Donald Trump signed the extension into law on February 3, 2026, as part of a federal funding bill that helped avert a partial U.S. government shutdown.
The renewal restores trade privileges retroactively from when the program lapsed last year.
Why this Matters
For two and a half decades, AGOA has supported exports from more than 30 African countries and sustained hundreds of thousands of jobs across the continent. The duty-free access helps African exporters compete in the U.S. market with lower costs, a major advantage over countries facing full tariffs.
However, the extension comes at a challenging moment since the Trump administration has pushed broad global tariffs that apply to many imported goods, including products from Africa. These tariffs can reduce or eliminate the cost advantage that AGOA was meant to provide.
Also Read: Trump Tariff Hike To Cost Africa $8BN in Duty-Free Exports to US
U.S. trade officials also say they want to modernize AGOA to better align it with the administration’s “America First” trade priorities, including more market access for U.S. businesses, farmers and ranchers.
Eligibility requirements remain part of the deal and to qualify for duty-free benefits, countries must show progress in building market-oriented economies, protecting human rights, upholding the rule of law, and reducing corruption.
Relations between the United States and some African partners, particularly Kenya, have been merry.
Trade Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui said Wednesday Kenya is advancing a bilateral trade agreement with Trump, with mineral exploration and processing at the centre of the partnership.
We are partnering with the US on mineral exploration and processing to avoid exporting raw minerals and also take advantage of opportunities in the digital space to create jobs for the youth,” Kinyanjui said on his X account.
Kenya positions itself as a reliable partner by inviting American investment in exploration, extraction, and local processing.
The main minerals tied to Kenya’s push for US partnerships in exploration and processing are rare earth elements (REEs) and niobium. These come from deposits along the coast, especially at Mrima Hill in Kwale County.
Additional reporting by Bloomberg
