President John Mahama has warned that the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is now “technically dead” following fresh tariffs imposed by the United States on African exports, including a 15% levy on Ghanaian goods.
Speaking at his first presidential media encounter of his second term, Mahama expressed doubt that the agreement would survive beyond its current lifespan. “AGOA is technically dead. It was due for renegotiation in September, but there is no way with this 15% tariff, AGOA is going to be renewed. We are just watching carefully,” he said.
Mahama explained that AGOA was originally designed to give developing countries, including Ghana, zero-tariff access to the U.S. market. However, under President Donald Trump’s administration, that concession has been reversed. “Countries like Africa enjoyed zero tariffs in the US because we were in the developing world. In comes President Trump. He has a more transactional mindset… He slapped a 15% tariff on us from a zero tariff,” he noted.
Enacted in 2000, AGOA has been a cornerstone of U.S. trade policy with sub-Saharan Africa, granting duty-free access for over 1,800 products, alongside more than 5,000 others under the Generalised System of Preferences.
The agreement was modernised and extended in 2015 to run until 2025, but Trump’s protectionist trade policies have now cast doubt over its future.
For Ghana, the imposition of tariffs is a major setback, eroding the competitiveness of its exports and reversing years of progress under duty-free trade. Mahama added that while the power to impose tariffs rests with Congress, Trump continues to “push the limit,” leaving little room for optimism about AGOA’s survival.
