Ethiopia: U.S. Congress Clears AGOA Extension Through 2028 - Ethiopia's Return Remains Uncertain

What the report says

The U.S. Congress has approved a two-year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, or AGOA, through 31 December 2028, according to Addis Standard’s report distributed by AllAfrica. The measure passed the U.S. House on 1 September by a bipartisan vote after earlier Senate approval in August, and it is now awaiting President Donald Trump’s signature. The extension was attached to a short-term government funding bill and does not appear to change AGOA’s core policy framework.

AGOA, enacted in 2000, provides eligible sub-Saharan African countries duty-free access to the U.S. market for more than 1,800 products. The article notes that the program lapsed in late 2025 before being temporarily restored in early 2026, and that lawmakers and business groups view the latest renewal as an interim step that gives time to consider longer-term reforms. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce welcomed the action and said businesses need more certainty to plan investment decisions.

For Ethiopia, the extension does not mean an automatic return to AGOA benefits. Addis Standard reports that Ethiopia remains on the U.S. list of suspended countries and would need a separate eligibility decision from the U.S. president to regain access. Ethiopia was removed from the program after the war in Tigray escalated in 2020, with later U.S. actions citing human rights concerns. The report says the suspension hurt Ethiopia’s export-oriented manufacturing sector, especially textiles and garments, and left the country’s reinstatement uncertain despite the broader AGOA renewal.