AGOA: Trump Banishes an African Country and Sanctions Others

President Donald Trump has decided to banish Cameroon from the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act’s list of beneficiary countries. Approved by Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton in 2000, the law aims to boost trade relationships between the U.S. and Africa by easing the access of products manufactured in sub-Saharan Africa to the American market. However, beneficiaries are obligated to abide by a very precise set of guidelines, particularly in the area of human rights protection.

According to Trump, Cameroon has failed by engaging in torture, arbitrary detention, and worse, extrajudicial killing. Cameroon has thus joined other banished countries such as South Sudan, Eritrea and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Niger, Gambia and the Central African Republic have been sanctioned for not implementing an effective visa issuance system and custom procedures as demanded by Article 112 of AGOA. They are no longer able to export clothing stuffs to the U.S.

Moreover, Trump has also favorably recognized Bissau Guinea and Niger, which now enjoy “least developed country” status and therefore get preferential treatment. So, Niger is paradoxically being sanctioned and rewarded at the same time.

In 2015, President Obama extended the AGOA until 2025. The law has effectively boosted trade relationships between sub-Saharan Africa and the U.S. However, the main beneficiaries of the initiative are the giants of South Africa and Nigeria, the two biggest economies on the continent followed by Angola, Chad and Kenya. Several other beneficiary countries do not take advantage of the huge potential available to them due to the lack of political will, organization and efficiency at the governmental level.

AGOA is an exceptional opportunity given to African countries and demonstrates America’s commitment vis-à-vis Africa, but the ball is in the Africans’ court. They are the ones who need to act to take advantage of this opening, an opening which is a sign of solidarity, friendship and commitment to do win-win business with Africa on the part of America.