US-African trade lagging despite free access [The Morning Call]

Trade between the United States and sub-Saharan Africa is in the doldrums despite a 2000 U..S law designed to boost access to the American market.

This was made known at the 18th Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) forum in Abidjan Ivory Coast with representatives from 40 African nations.

According to figures compiled by the U.S. agency USAID, trade quadrupled in value from 2002 to 2008, a year when it reached $100 billion, but fell back in 2017 to just $39 billion.

The AGOA accord provides 39 sub-Saharan African countries duty-free access to the U.S. for about 6,500 products, ranging from textiles to manufactured items.