AGOA-eligible African suppliers
The African Growth and Opportunity Act gives qualifying goods from eligible sub-Saharan African countries duty-free access to the United States. It is authorised to 31 December 2026, and on 8 August 2026 the US Senate voted 90-6 to extend it through 31 December 2028 - a bill the House has not yet passed. It was reauthorised for one year to 31 December 2026, retroactive to the September 2025 lapse — so any sourcing plan depending on AGOA past that date is carrying an assumption rather than a rate.
What AGOA gives you
Duty-free entry into the US for qualifying goods from eligible countries, covering thousands of tariff lines including apparel under specific rules. The saving is real and, for apparel especially, decisive.
The 31 December 2026 clock — and the 2028 one
The current authorisation runs to the end of December 2026, and a Senate-passed extension to 31 December 2028 is awaiting the House. Treat that as a live planning date: price contracts that extend beyond it against both the AGOA rate and the normal rate, and know which of your lines survive without it.
Eligibility has two halves
The country must be designated eligible, which is reviewed annually and can be withdrawn, and the goods must meet AGOA rules of origin. Both must hold at the time of entry.
What to have ready
Correct HS classification, the origin documentation AGOA requires, and — for apparel — evidence meeting the applicable fabric and assembly rules. A claim that fails on documentation pays the normal rate.
Frequently asked questions
- Is AGOA still in force in 2026?
- Yes. AGOA is authorised to 31 December 2026, retroactive to the lapse in September 2025, and on 8 August 2026 the US Senate voted 90-6 to extend AGOA through 31 December 2028, folded into a stopgap funding measure; the House has not yet passed it and it is not signed. Any plan that depends on AGOA duty treatment past that date is carrying an assumption rather than a rate, so price long contracts against both outcomes.
- Which countries are AGOA-eligible?
- Designated sub-Saharan African countries. Eligibility is reviewed annually and can be withdrawn, so confirm current status for the specific country at the time of shipment rather than relying on a list from an earlier year.
- What are the alternatives if AGOA lapses?
- For the US market, the normal tariff rate applies unless another preference exists. Separately, China now applies zero duty across all tariff lines for eligible African countries — in force since December 2024 for African least developed countries and from May 2026 for the rest — which is broader tariff-line coverage than AGOA ever had.
- What documentation does an AGOA claim need?
- Correct HS classification, origin documentation meeting AGOA rules of origin, and for apparel the applicable fabric and assembly evidence. A claim that is substantively valid but documented incorrectly pays the normal rate.