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Ethiopia: US Congress Votes to Extend AGOA for Ten Years

The US Congress on Thursday, June 25, 2015, voted to extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) for another ten years, according to The Daily Monitor.

US Congresswoman and Ranking Member of the Africa sub-committee, Ms. Karen Bass, conferred a statement saying, “the Congress work to re-authorize the AGOA is now complete.”

According to Bass, the vote had been a “direct result of the bipartisan work and commitment from both Houses of the Congress, the African Diplomatic Corps, African Heads of State, members of African governments, the Obama Administration and countless individuals from the African Diaspora and African Civil Society who spoke and worked for African continent that is a partner to United States.”

The renewal of the AGOA, availing preferential market access to 39 African countries, extends leeway for these countries to engage in the global market as well.

AGOA entered in to force in 2000 to allow African countries to export various products to the US to boost the development of African industry and production. It allows for the export of 6,000 products to the US duty free, according to information gathered from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia.

Source: The Daily Monitor