The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a crucial US-Africa trade accord providing duty-free access for African products to the United States since 2000, has been renewed until 2026. This renewal comes after its expiration on September 30 and with retroactive effect, offering a new lease of life to sectors of the continent's economy.

• In 2024, $8.23 billion worth of goods were exported under AGOA, with South Africa accounting for half of this total.
• The renewal was influenced by the administration of US President Donald Trump, who has used AGOA as a tool to push for certain conditions from African nations.
• The impending expiration and associated tariffs had already led to job losses, with Lesotho's textile sector and a Kenyan jeans manufacturer cutting hundreds and one thousand jobs respectively.