Some of Africa’s most successful manufacturing industries will face “debilitating” hits if Donald Trump’s administration allows a 25-year-old trade agreement with the continent to expire next week, the head of a UN trade agency has warned.
The African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), which offers zero-tariff access to US markets for 32 of the continent’s developing countries, is on course to lapse next Tuesday if Congress does not renew the pact, as analysts expect.
The act has been behind the growth of manufacturing in sectors such as clothing, leather and footwear, where tariff-free access has enabled African countries to compete against Asian rivals such as Cambodia and Bangladesh.