The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) issued a call for public comments on the modernization of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which is set to expire on December 31, 2026. The consultation offers a timely opportunity for the private sector to shape the next phase of U.S.-Africa trade and investment relations. Ambassador Greer has signaled that a modernized AGOA should build on its 25-year foundation to deepen economic ties, support American workers, reduce trade barriers, and expand opportunities for businesses on both sides of the Atlantic.
The modernization effort is expected to move beyond AGOA’s traditional focus on energy, textiles, and transport toward a more forward-looking, value chain-driven framework. Priority areas under consideration include critical minerals and strategic supply chains, advanced manufacturing, the digital economy, infrastructure, trade facilitation, and security-linked economic sectors, with a notably stronger emphasis on reciprocity in U.S. export-oriented sectors.