A new bill has been introduced in the US House of Representatives to extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) for an additional three years. The proposed legislation, known as the AGOA Extension Act, aims to preserve duty-free access for thousands of African exports to the US market and provide retroactive relief to importers affected by the program’s lapse earlier this year.

The bill, introduced by Representative Jason Smith of Missouri, would extend the program’s expiration date from September 30, 2025, to December 31, 2028. It also extends key apparel provisions, including regional apparel and third-country fabric rules, through 2028. Furthermore, the legislation would allow eligible African goods that entered the US after September 30, 2025, to be liquidated or reliquidated as if AGOA benefits had remained in force, with importers having 180 days to file refund requests with US Customs and Border Protection.

The AGOA program, first enacted in 2000, grants duty-free access to over 6,500 products from eligible sub-Saharan African countries, making it a cornerstone of US-Africa economic relations. The program’s extension is crucial for textile- and apparel-dependent economies such as Kenya, Lesotho, Ethiopia, and Mauritius. The bill’s introduction comes amid mounting pressure from African governments and US industry groups, who warn that uncertainty over AGOA’s future threatens jobs, investment, and supply-chain stability on both sides of the Atlantic.

The bill will next be taken up by the relevant House committee, where its prospects will depend on negotiations between lawmakers who support a long-term renewal and those seeking broader reforms to US trade preference programs. The US National Security Strategy emphasizes the importance of trade with Africa, and the AGOA program is seen as a key component of this strategy.

The AGOA program was born out of President Bill Clinton’s 1994 declaration “More trade, less aid,” which aimed to promote economic development in Africa through trade rather than aid. The program’s expiration on September 30 has disrupted trade and resulted in significant financial losses, according to a lobbyist representing several African countries. The introduction of the AGOA Extension Act is seen as a crucial step towards restoring stability and promoting economic growth in the region.