Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja
Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and some members of the US Congress have expressed excitement as President Donald Trump, Friday signed the bill for a two-year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), after the enabling law elapsed on September 30, 2025.
Nigeria is among the 32 African beneficiaries of AGOA, which allows
duty-free treatment on imports from eligible countries.
Okonjo-Iweala conveyed her delight on the development via post on X (formerly Twitter).
She said: “Great to learn that the USA has granted a two year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) extending trade preferences to qualifying African countries.
“Hope this will help stimulate mutually beneficial and greater Africa-USA trade! Thanks to Congress, the Administration, and the numerous individuals and organizations that worked hard to make this happen.
“Credit also to the African Union @_AfricanUnion and African leaders for patience and persistence on this issue.”
the US House of Representatives had in January this year passed the bill to renew the preferential trade programme for some African countries through 2028, approving the extension by a vote of 340 to 54.
Despite threats to exclude South Africa from the preferential trade programme, President Donald Trump has now signed the AGOA extension bill law.
The two-year extension passed Congress without substantive policy changes, giving a sense of continuity for exporters across the African continent.
After months of delays and questions about the future of the trade programme, at times it seemed like the Trump administration was ready to scrap the AGOA or significantly curtail the programme and potentially exclude certain countries from being part of it.
South Africa’s inclusion in AGOA seemed in jeopardy.
After Trump’s return to the White House, a group of congressmen wrote a letter to the President, urging him to bar Pretoria from the programme.
Last December, the US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said he was “open” to “different treatment” for South Africa, calling the country a “unique problem”, signalling possible exclusion.
But the Senate, and the House of Representatives this week, passed an extension running through to the end of December 2028.
Trump has now signed it into law, and lawmakers who championed the extension have welcomed the news.
Republican Representative for Missouri’s 8th Congressional District, Congressman Jason Smith, said, “For over two decades, the African Growth and Opportunity Act has been the foundation of America’s trade relationship with the nations of sub-Saharan Africa.
“AGOA promotes greater economic stability and opportunity across Africa while advancing America’s strategic and national security interests, including access to critical minerals and more secure supply chains.”
Also, US congresswoman, Terri Sewell who represents Alabama’s 7th District, also applauded the extension, stating that it would help strengthen trade relations between the United States of America and Africa.
Sewell said: “I am thrilled to announce that we were able to include the reauthorization of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, or AGOA, in the continuing resolution that passed the House today.
“As the lead champion of AGOA in Congress, I am thrilled that we were able to overcome the divisiveness in Washington and extend this critically important trade programme for two years while we continue our work to modernise and expand our trade relationships with Africa.
“AGOA has been one of the most successful trade programmes in our nation’s history, opening doors for African nations while continuing to provide new opportunities for American workers, farmers, and manufacturers.”
According to her, AGOA represents “the best of American economic leadership,” promoting opportunity, partnership and long-term investment.
“At a time when Africa’s economic importance is growing, I am glad that the United States is joining with the AGOA countries to secure a more prosperous future for us all,” the congresswoman added.
The US congress had advanced a bill seeking to revive the programme after it expired on September 30, 2025.
The AGOA Extension Act was introduced by Jason Smith, a member of the US House of Representatives, and proposed a three-year renewal of the programme until December 31, 2028.
The extension permits retroactive duty-free treatment on imports from eligible African countries from the expiration date, empowering importers to claim refunds for duties they paid in the interval for AGOA-qualifying goods.
Despite threatening substantial changes to AGOA, the Trump administration appeared to lack the bandwidth to make them.
AGOA was established in the year 2000, giving countries across Africa duty-free access to the American market – as a way to promote economic growth in Africa and boost trade between the US and the Continent.
The Trump administration reportedly still wants to look at ways to change the US’ trade relationship with Africa.
But with the extension in place, the programme and the countries covered by it will effectively be safeguarded through most of Trump’s current and final term in office.