US President Donald Trump has issued a new proclamation extending key African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) trade preferences through December 31, 2026, preserving duty-free access for eligible sub-Saharan African countries and sustaining long-running commercial ties between the United States and Africa.
The proclamation confirms that duty-free treatment under AGOA remains in force through 2026, alongside extensions of the regional apparel article program and the third-country fabric program, both critical to textile exporters.
Under the new determination, Gabon has been redesignated as an AGOA beneficiary sub-Saharan African country after demonstrating progress in meeting eligibility requirements under U.S. trade law, reversing its earlier suspension.
Haiti and CBERA Adjustments
Separately, the proclamation extends preferential treatment for Haiti under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act, including the Haiti Economic Lift Program, while maintaining duty-free access and adjusting apparel import limits through December 31, 2026.
The proclamation directs modifications to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States and authorizes federal agencies, including the United States Trade Representative, Customs and Border Protection, and the International Trade Commission, to implement necessary updates and publish technical corrections in the Federal Register.
The update ensures continuity of U.S. trade preference programs, superseding inconsistent prior provisions and reinforcing legal stability for exporters and import-dependent industries across Africa and the Caribbean.
The inclusion of Gabon as a reinstated beneficiary signals a policy shift toward conditional engagement based on governance and compliance benchmarks set under U.S. trade legislation.
Weathering ongoing global trade realignments, the updated provisions for Haiti under CBERA aim to stabilize export-oriented manufacturing while maintaining safeguards on apparel import volumes into the U.S. market.
Overall, the proclamation underscores a broader U.S. strategy of using targeted trade preferences to strengthen economic partnerships, promote regional development, and maintain structured market access frameworks that balance development goals with domestic trade policy priorities through coordinated interagency implementation.
