Most of Washington DC’s engagement with Africa is aimed at promoting historically radical gender, sexual, and social norms onto Africans and their governments. Uganda exported $71 million of goods to America in 2023, but only 12% were duty-free under AGOA. Central African Republic, Gabon, and Niger were also removed. AGOA has been a failure and has mostly facilitated the movement of petroleum products in the early-2000s.
Uganda, alongside the Central African Republic, Gabon, and Niger, faces exclusion from the African Growth and Opportunity Act ("AGOA") by Washington DC, effective from January 1. This decision follows Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni's signing of the Anti-Homosexuality Act into law and general reluctance to push the LGBTQ+ agenda in his country. AGOA trade representing a small portion of Uganda's trade and removal will have limited economic repercussions for the country.
The removal from Agoa may not have as profound an economic impact as anticipated, given that the program covers a specific range of products and represents a modest percentage of Uganda's total exports. Uganda exported $71 million of goods to America in 2023, but only 12 percent were duty-free under AGOA. Agricultural goods, particularly from Uganda's robust agricultural sector, made up over 80 percent of its AGOA exports. While some impact on the job market is expected, the agricultural sector's significance is balanced by other economic activities, potentially mitigating the adverse effects of the exclusion.
AGOA was established in 2000 to provide duty-free access for eligible sub-Saharan African countries to the American market for certain products. The trade pact is set to expire in December 2025 and the recent expulsions prompt reflections on the program's future and the criteria for eligibility.
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