The United States Senate voted 90-6 on the 8th of August, 2026, to extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) through to the 31st of December 2028, passing the legislation as part of a government-funding measure and restoring duty-free trade preferences for 32 eligible sub-Saharan African countries. A cornerstone of US-Africa trade relations for 25 years, AGOA has allowed the US to import billions of dollars of duty-free cars, clothes, and other items from eligible sub-Saharan African nations.
Because the Senate amended the House version of the bill, the legislation must return to the House for a concurrence vote before it can be signed into law. The bill also provides for refunds of duties on eligible goods entered after the 30th of September, 2025, and before enactment, covering the period when AGOA had lapsed.
The extension follows a turbulent legislative journey. AGOA originally expired on the 30th of September 2025, with Congress passing a one-year extension through the 31st of December, 2026, in February. The House had voted 340 to 54 in January to extend the programme for three years, with strong bipartisan support reflecting AGOA’s enduring importance to the US-Africa trade relationship.
US Senator Raphael Warnock, who helped secure the extension, said it “will lower the cost of everyday goods and improve our national security by helping stabilize the economies of our global partners.”
The relief the extension provides to African exporters is real. The International Trade Centre had estimated that the expiry of AGOA without renewal would reduce projected exports of AGOA beneficiaries by $189 million by 2029, with apparel being a particularly important sector. Kenya, Ethiopia, Lesotho, and Mauritius are among the programme’s largest beneficiaries in the apparel and textile sectors, while Nigeria, Angola, and other energy producers have used AGOA preferences for hydrocarbon exports.
The extension does not resolve AGOA’s longer-term uncertainty. The key date to watch remains the 31st December, 2028, when the current extension expires. African governments are also navigating how to balance access to the US market against deepening ties with China, Russia, and other partners, with how they navigate that balancing act shaping which countries remain eligible and which lose their preferential access.
Africa Presents is a Pan-African digital magazine and monthly publication covering politics, business, economy, culture, tech, and the stories shaping Africa and its diaspora. Visit africapresents.com and follow @AfricaPresents for daily coverage and monthly themed magazine editions.
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