20th AGOA Forum In Jo'burg To Discuss Future Of Trade Pact

The 20th African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum will be held in Johannesburg between November 2 -4 to discuss the future of the trade agreement granting a number of African nations duty-free access to US markets.

• A bipartisan group of US lawmakers called on the White House to move the conference to another venue following a diplomatic stand-off over South Africa's stance on the Russian invasion on Ukraine, but subsequent shuttle diplomacy helped defuse tensions and restore Pretoria's relations with Washington to relative normalcy.
• Official sources told the Mail & Guardian that US Congress members have opted to skip the event due to domestic issues, amid ongoing efforts to avoid government shutdown on November 17. The US delegation will be led by chief trade representative Katherine Tai, who will be accompanied by a group of senior officials.
• US President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday that Niger, Gabon, Uganda and the Central African Republic were set to lose their AGOA statuses due to their failure to meet the criteria for inclusion. Meanwhile, Mauretania will regain the trade benefits after a suspension dating back to 2019.
• The key issue up for debate at the conference will be the future of the AGOA, which was last extended for 10 years in 2015 and therefore is currently set to expire in 2025. While the final decision rests with the US Congress, the Forum will provide an opportunity for the African countries to push for another extension.
• The draft agenda of the AGOA Forum can be found here. US Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves will brief the media on the outcomes of the conference on Friday at 13:30GMT/15:30SAST.