“The United States today removed Ethiopia, Mali and Guinea from the AGOA trade preference program due to actions taken by their governments that violate the principles of this agreement,” the US Trade Representative said in a statement.
The AGOA (African Growth and Opportunity Act) is a trade agreement established in 2000 under former President Bill Clinton to regulate and facilitate trade between the United States and the continent.
“The Biden-Harris administration is deeply concerned about the unconstitutional change of governments of Guinea and Mali,” the statement added.
With regard to Ethiopia, the statement said that the US administration is concerned about “the flagrant violations of internationally recognized human rights committed by the Ethiopian government and other parties to the conflict in northern Ethiopia.”
Under AGOA, thousands of African exports to the United States could benefit from tax cuts, provided the countries exporting these goods fulfill human rights, governance, and labor protection requirements and do not impose tariffs on any American product.
In 2020, the number of African countries eligible to benefit from the AGOA exemptions was 38.
In 2015, the US Congress updated this agreement and extended it until 2025.
.