Summary: US removes Gabon, Niger, CAR and Uganda from trade deal
What we know
- The US has terminated the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) trade preference program benefits for Gabon, Niger, the Central African Republic, and Uganda
- It has reinstated the benefits for Mauritania
- Mauritania was suspended in 2019 due to worker rights concerns
- The decision takes effect from January 1, 2024
- AGOA provides duty-free access to the U.S. market for most agricultural and manufactured products exported by eligible African countries
- Gabon and Niger’s AGOA eligibility will be terminated due to unconstitutional changes of government
- Uganda will lose its eligibility due to its passage of the Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA)
- The Central African Republic will lose its eligibility due to human rights violations
What they said
US Trade Representative, Ambassador Katherine Tai said in a statement: “Recognizing progress made by Mauritania in recent years, we know that there is more hard work to be done.” She further explained the US government’s position on the 4 countries rendered ineligible. “The United States urges these governments to take necessary actions to meet those criteria so that we can resume our valued trading partnerships. I will provide each of these countries with clear benchmarks for a pathway toward reinstatement, and our Administration will work with them to achieve that objective.”
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