Navigating the US Congressional Process of Reauthorising AGOA

The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which provides duty-free US market access to eligible sub-Saharan African countries, is set to expire on 30 September 2015. While the US Executive Branch conducts impact investigations and makes recommendations, the US Congress holds the central role in determining the timing and content of reauthorisation legislation. The document warns that a swift renewal is unlikely due to a partisan stalemate in Washington, the 2014 congressional elections, and opposition from US agricultural and business interest groups. It advises African leaders to prioritize advocacy with the US Legislative Branch, specifically members of committees with jurisdictional interest, rather than focusing solely on the US Executive Branch during the 2014 US–Africa Leaders Summit.

• AGOA is a nonreciprocal trade preference programme that allows eligible sub-Saharan African countries to export more than 6,400 items duty-free to the US, compared to approximately 4,600 items under the Generalized System of Preferences.
• The US Congress, rather than the Executive Branch, is the primary authority over the timing and specific content of the AGOA reauthorisation legislation.
• A rapid reauthorisation of AGOA is improbable due to a partisan divide where the Democratic Party controls the White House and Senate, while the Republican Party controls the House, alongside the distractions of the November 2014 elections.
• Past delays in reauthorising specific AGOA provisions, such as the Third Country Fabric Provision in September 2012, resulted in a 30–35 percent decrease in new apparel orders and caused job losses and investor flight in eligible countries.
• Certain US interest groups oppose a long-term or permanent extension of AGOA, citing unfair and WTO-incompatible barriers to US agricultural exports and the need for a more favourable business climate for US companies.
• Bipartisan support exists for improving AGOA's effectiveness, evidenced by a request from 16 members of the committees of jurisdiction for the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate ways to increase two-way trade and economic development.

APA

Tamarkin, E. (2014). Navigating the US Congressional Process of Reauthorising AGOA. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Policy-Briefing-100.pdf

Chicago

Tamarkin, Eric. Navigating the US Congressional Process of Reauthorising AGOA. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2014. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Policy-Briefing-100.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tamarkin |first1=Eric |title=Navigating the US Congressional Process of Reauthorising AGOA |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=July 2014 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Policy-Briefing-100.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tamarkin2014navigating, author = {Tamarkin, Eric}, title = {{Navigating the US Congressional Process of Reauthorising AGOA}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2014}, month = jul, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Policy-Briefing-100.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }