AGOA Extension Unlocks Two More Years of U.S. Growth for African Businesses

AGOA now runs through December 31, 2028, extending duty-free U.S. access for eligible African exporters across more than 1,800 additional product lines.

In 2023, imports under AGOA and related preferences reached $9.7 billion, led by $4.2 billion in crude oil, $1.1 billion in apparel and more than $900 million in agricultural products. Passenger vehicles, cocoa, jewelry, chemicals, citrus and copper were also part of the trade.

U.S. goods imports from Africa reached about $25.3 billion through July 2026, including roughly $18.6 billion from sub-Saharan Africa, keeping the continent firmly inside America’s supply chain for energy, food, manufactured goods and raw materials.

The extension now gives African producers another two years to increase their share of that trade, especially in processed and manufactured goods that carry more value than commodities alone.

South Africa Shows How AGOA Supports Manufactured Exports

South Africa shipped about $3.6 billion in manufactured and processed goods under AGOA in 2023, the largest total among participating countries outside oil exports.

That position gives South African producers a head start under the extension. The country already has established automotive supply chains, export infrastructure and years of experience meeting U.S. standards and delivery requirements.

U.S. imports from South Africa reached about $16.5 billion in 2025, with bilateral goods trade near $22.7 billion.

The renewed AGOA window therefore supports exporters that are already connected to American buyers rather than starting from zero.

South Africa’s advantage is industrial depth. It can use the extension to increase higher-value exports through manufacturing networks that are already active in the U.S. market.

Apparel, Cocoa and Agriculture Keep More African Exporters in the U.S. Market

Kenya, Madagascar and Lesotho continue to supply apparel under AGOA, while Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire remain important cocoa exporters into the U.S.

Those markets have already given several smaller African economies a commercial foothold that does not depend on crude oil.

Cocoa shipments under the program reached about $202 million in 2023. Citrus contributed about $132 million, while copper-related products added roughly $95 million.

The mix shows how AGOA reaches beyond one sector, with agricultural goods, processed products and light manufacturing already moving through established trade channels.

The country-level trade numbers are also significant. U.S. imports reached about $862 million from Kenya in 2025, $1.2 billion from Ghana and $695 million from Madagascar.

For those exporters, the extension through 2028 keeps an existing market open rather than creating a new one.

It gives producers already selling into the U.S. more time to increase shipments and gives other firms in apparel, agriculture and food processing a longer window to enter the same supply chains.

Nigeria Can Use AGOA to Export More Than Crude Oil

Nigeria was AGOA’s largest exporter in 2023, with crude oil accounting for much of the total. By 2025, U.S. imports from Nigeria had reached about $5 billion, while bilateral goods trade stood near $11.8 billion.

That relationship is still heavily shaped by energy, even as Nigeria adds capacity in refining and petrochemicals and expands production across agriculture, leather, food processing and textiles.

Those sectors give the country a broader base of goods that can reach the U.S. once producers meet AGOA and customs requirements.

The extension through 2028 keeps duty-free access available while that industrial capacity is still growing.

Nigerian manufacturers and processors now have more time to increase U.S.-bound sales from goods that carry more domestic processing before they leave the country.

For Nigeria, the commercial value of the extension will be measured by how much of that production reaches American buyers alongside crude.

AGOA Extension Now Turns to What Happens After 2028

The current AGOA extension runs through 2028, but African governments and exporters are unlikely to treat that date as the end of the program.

A longer renewal will remain part of the trade agenda if businesses are expected to keep investing around access to the U.S. market.

The next two years will give both sides more evidence to work with. If African exports rise and more manufactured goods reach American buyers, supporters of AGOA will have a stronger case when the program returns to Congress.

That debate will also come at a time when the U.S. is competing more directly for trade and investment ties across Africa.

AGOA will therefore return to Washington not only as a preference program, but as part of the wider commercial relationship between the U.S. and the continent.

For African exporters, the immediate task is to use the current term well enough that the argument for extending AGOA beyond 2028 becomes harder to ignore.