The International Trade Commission has launched a new fact-finding investigation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act that will include several case studies to help policymakers better understand the relative competitiveness of specific sectors and their impact on workers, economic development, and poverty reduction.
The ITC’s report could be used by U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to support changes to AGOA she has said are needed to attract more investment to Africa and support the Biden administration’s worker-centric trade policy. AGOA is currently scheduled to expire Sept. 30, 2025.
The ITC states that it will provide (1) an overview of AGOA and its use, including a description of the program, an overview of U.S. imports, identification of country utilization rates, and a qualitative examination, including a literature review, and (2) case studies on cotton, apparel, certain chemicals, and cocoa.
A public hearing will be held in connection with this investigation on June 9. Requests to appear at the hearing are due by May 25 and written submissions for the record are due by Oct. 27. The ITC expects to submit its final report to USTR by March 17, 2023.
For more information on AGOA, including country eligibility and how to utilize available tariff preferences, please contact Nicole Bivens Collinson at (202) 730-4956 or via email.
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