The United States government has extended duty-free access to its markets for Nigeria and other eligible African countries under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) until December 31, 2026.
This announcement was confirmed in a statement from U.S. Ambassador Jamieson Greer on February 3, 2026.
The extension aims to deepen trade ties between the U.S. and sub-Saharan Africa by allowing eligible nations to export more than 1,800 products duty-free.
The program is designed to promote economic growth, political reform, and sustainable development across participating countries.
On February 3, 2026, President Donald Trump signed legislation reauthorising AGOA, with retroactive effect from September 30, 2025.
“Today, President Trump signed into law legislation that reauthorises the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) trade preference program through December 31, 2026, with retroactive effect to September 30, 2025,” the statement read.
Ambassador Jamieson Greer emphasised that AGOA for the 21st century must demand more from trading partners while providing greater market access for U.S. businesses, farmers, and ranchers.
He noted that the program builds on the benefits it has historically offered to both Africa and the United States.
The reauthorisation outlines implementation responsibilities for eligible countries, including progress toward a market-based economy, political pluralism, human rights protection, and anti-corruption measures.
The U.S. Trade Representative will update the Harmonized Tariff Schedule to reflect any changes resulting from the reauthorisation.
AGOA was enacted in 2000 to strengthen U.S.-Africa trade relations.
The programme allows eligible sub-Saharan African countries duty-free access to the U.S. market for over 1,800 products, in addition to more than 5,000 items under the Generalised System of Preferences.
To qualify, countries must uphold the rule of law, protect human rights, reduce poverty, and remove barriers to trade.
Over the past two decades, AGOA has helped African countries expand exports, foster economic reforms, and strengthen political institutions.
Initially passed to run through 2015, the program was modernized in 2015 and extended to 2025 before the latest extension to the end of 2026. As of 2025, 32 African countries remain eligible for AGOA benefits.
Eligible African countries include Angola, Benin, Botswana, Cabo Verde, Chad, Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Eswatini, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Burundi, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé & Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, and Zambia.
The programme not only facilitates market access but also encourages institutional development and economic reforms, aligning trade benefits with broader policy goals.
Nigeria’s trade with the U.S. has played a pivotal role in reshaping U.S.-Africa trade balances. Between January and October 2025, the U.S. recorded a $1.45 billion goods trade surplus with Nigeria, reversing a $1.367 billion deficit in the same period in 2024.
U.S. exports to Nigeria climbed to $5.94 billion, while imports fell to $4.49 billion.
In October 2025 alone, the U.S. posted a $162 million surplus, up from $116 million in September.
The year-on-year turnaround was driven primarily by export growth, which rose 80.3 per cent compared to October 2024.
Nigeria accounted for roughly 17.4 per cent of U.S. exports to Africa and contributed nearly 31 per cent of the continent’s total U.S. trade surplus for October.
This reversal highlights Nigeria’s strategic importance in U.S.-Africa trade relations, offsetting broader trade deficits with the continent and reinforcing the economic relevance of AGOA.
