President John Dramani Mahama has declared that the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is “technically dead” and unlikely to be renewed. Speaking at his first presidential media encounter of his second term, Mahama noted that the U.S. has placed a 15% tariff on exports from Ghana and other African countries, a move that he believes has effectively killed the duty-free access they previously enjoyed. The president explained that the U.S. administration under Donald Trump adopted a “transactional mindset,” which disrupted the global trade system and placed the future of AGOA in doubt.
AGOA, which was enacted in 2000, has been a cornerstone of U.S. economic and commercial engagement with Africa. The program provided eligible sub-Saharan African countries with duty-free access to the U.S. market for more than 1,800 products, in addition to thousands of other products eligible under the Generalized System of Preferences. Despite Congress having extended the program in 2015 until 2025, Mahama’s comments underscore the significant threat posed by the Trump administration’s shift toward protectionist trade measures.
Mahama emphasized that the U.S. president’s actions have pushed the limits of his authority to impose tariffs, casting a long shadow over the agreement’s future. The 15% tariff now faced by Ghana makes the scheduled renegotiation of AGOA in September moot, as the fundamental principle of duty-free access has been violated. The President concluded that the situation is being watched carefully, but there is little hope for the agreement’s renewal under the current trade climate.
Ruth Abla ADJORLOLO
