Washington, DC — The AGOA Alliance, a coalition of U.S. and African business, policy, and trade leaders, today sent a letter to Congressional leadership urging a 2–5-year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act #AGOA.
The letter, addressed to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, Speaker Mike Johnson, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, underscores the urgent need to sustain U.S.–Africa trade, protect over 1.3 million African jobs, and preserve hundreds of thousands of American jobs.
This week the Alliance applauded House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith for his strong leadership and commitment, as well as the entire Committee for their steadfast support of AGOA over the years.
“AGOA is not charity—it is strategic economic policy. Its continuation protects American jobs, sustains African livelihoods, and strengthens U.S. influence in a critical region,” said Rosa Whitaker, Co-Chair of the AGOA Alliance, former Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa, and co-founder of the original AGOA Coalition with the late Hon. Jack Kemp decades ago.
Alliance Co-Chair Hon. Chris Stewart, former U.S. Congressman (R-Utah) and decorated U.S. Air Force veteran, added: “AGOA has created a framework for mutually beneficial growth between the U.S. and Africa for over two decades. Beyond trade, it has delivered security gains, strengthened strategic partnerships, and reinforced America’s influence. Congress must act now to ensure continuity and modernize this essential trade relationship.“
The letter is part of a series of advocacy initiatives undertaken by the AGOA Alliance over the past few years, which have engaged U.S. Executive and Legislative branch officials, African Heads of State, the leadership of the African Union, and influential stakeholders on both sides of the Atlantic.
This week, the Alliance is accelerating its advocacy with the launch of the “Continue AGOA!” initiative in Washington, D.C., convening African Ambassadors, business leaders, and policymakers from the U.S. and Africa. Key activities include the AGOA Leadership Breakfasts, roundtables with House and Senate committees, briefings with officials from the U.S. Executive Branch, and engagements with media outlets.
The initiative aims to accelerate bipartisan action for immediate renewal while laying the foundation for a modernized, long-term extension. Since its inception in 2000, AGOA has helped to triple U.S. exports to sub-Saharan Africa — from $5.9 billion to over $18 billion — supporting U.S. jobs, strengthening supply chains, and deepening strategic partnerships, while cumulatively delivering over half a trillion dollars’ worth of duty-free exports from Sub-Saharan Africa to the U.S. — a win-win partnership at nearly no cost to U.S. taxpayers.
Advocates warn that failure to renew AGOA risks shifting African trade toward global competitors, undermining U.S. economic influence and strategic positioning.
Contact: Tim Stewart
tim.stewart@bennettdc.com
202-684-7117
The Bennett Group
