A senior US State Department official for Africa indicated on Tuesday that the future renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a significant US-African trade deal, will likely require more “reciprocity” from African nations.
The current state of global trade under President Donald Trump’s administration, characterised by protectionist policies and scepticism towards trade deficits, has cast uncertainty over AGOA’s fate, with its review set for September.
Troy Fitrell, a senior bureau official at the Bureau of African Affairs, told African media during a press call that any renewal of AGOA would probably “reflect the modern world” and necessitate “a much greater form of reciprocity.”
He suggested that future US trade relations with Africa would likely prioritise “a reciprocal relationship, one that addresses the needs on both sides.”
Fitrell also noted that the State Department is taking a less active role in promoting AGOA’s extension, placing the onus on African diplomats to lobby the US Congress directly.
He humorously recounted turning the question back on African counterparts who inquired about US efforts to renew AGOA.
While promoting President Trump’s strategy of prioritising business investment over traditional development aid in Africa—a long-standing Washington slogan—Fitrell’s comments raise questions about how current deal-making will differ from previous administrations.
Critics, however, are concerned that cuts to foreign aid, particularly the Trump administration’s proposed reductions to the Millennium Challenge Corporation (a US agency funding infrastructure and electricity projects in Africa), are jeopardising private sector initiatives on the continent.
AGOA, launched in 2000 under President Bill Clinton, grants duty-free access to the US market for certain African products, provided countries meet conditions such as political pluralism, human rights respect, and anti-corruption efforts.
Currently, approximately 30 of Africa’s 50 countries benefit from the accord, which covers a wide range of goods from clothing to cars.
In 2023, goods valued at $9.26 billion were exported under AGOA, with oil and energy products accounting for $4.25 billion of that total, according to the United States International Trade Commission (USITC).
