US Fashion Brands Urge Early Renewal of Africa Trade Program

  • Uncertainty about AGOA renewal discourages Africa sourcing
  • AGOA set to expire in 2025 if not restored by US government

The African Growth and Opportunity Act during the 2014 US-Africa Summit in Washington, DC.

Photographer: Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

US fashion companies urged the early renewal of a trade program that allows thousands of African products to enter the world’s biggest economy duty free, saying that a longer-term arrangement would boost investment in the region.

The African Growth and Opportunity Act, first enacted in 2000, is set to expire in 2025 and US officials have said the qualifying criteria for beneficiaries could be revised or the program replaced.