The Trade Agreement between the United States and the sub-city African nations, known as the Egore (African Development and Opportunity Act), is ready to end on 30 September.
Although some are still expecting a final-khai attempt to achieve a follow-up agreement, dozens of African countries are still at least to see the end of the 25-year duty-free access in the US market to counter the country.
“The study suggests that there is already a positive impact. Exports have been exported to the US, for example, in the textile industry,” Zorina says Olexeuk, which research on the changes of economic and social systems in the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).
“For example, Lesotho may lose about 6%of total exports, Madagascar over 3%, around 3%, Botswana and Chad 2%,” Olexuk told DW.
However, he stressed that all things are a bit of a mixed bag, Consabi, the earlier success rate is said that “the overall impact for the region is limited and the impact varies from the country to the country and the region to the region.”
Earlier on African economies
Launched in 2000 under US President Bill Clinton, the objective of the trade partnership was to bring Africa closer to the world’s strongest economy.
However, in 2025, Donald Trump’s return to the White House, which brought fresh protectionist policies, saw that Tahifs once again go up, affecting the effective deal.
A total of 35 African countries were part of the agreement, which reduced access to the US market. Under the deal, about 7,000 products can be taken to Atlantic duty-free.
The trade deal helped develop and flourish the entire regions – textiles, agriculture and raw materials are some top industries that have benefited from the agreement for years.
This results in large -scale employment generation, especially in Madagascar, Lesotho and South Africa.
But now, a quarter century of achievements and development may be lost.
Malik Sane, an expert at International Trade at Choikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, told DW that African companies would “be consistently entry into the US market with competitive products, leading to a decline in production – and there.
South Africa, the United States’s largest African exporter, faces an estimated loss of over 35,000 jobs in the lonely sour fruit sector, while Madagascar will have to pay 47% tax on vanilla and textile exports in the future.
Meanwhile, the US government threatened Lesotho, which depends heavily on the production of jeans content with a record tariff of 50%, which decreased by 15% in July.
Mauritius has to pay 40% on its industrial products. Some of these raw materials are essential for the US industry.
The US tafs want to be on the export of Platinum, Gold, Diamonds and Rare Earth – significant sources of many countries search as South Africa, Ghana, Lesotho, Namibia and Madagascar.
US Africa Trade Relations
Africa’s trade with the US was already on a decline in recent years, emphasizing the economist Olexuk. “In 2017, only 8.5% of exports from Agara countries went to America. It is quite low or China,” Shee insisted, “expected a soft landing after the trade agreement ends.
In addition, she says that only some African exporters have really benefited before, which highlights the profit margin, “not quite large.”
She says that already for the country that used to often give words to barely barely barely started with the US.
In view of the ongoing economic growth, some countries can not even thermfore, even if others can seek their own direct deal with continuity, while others.
For example, Zimbabwe decided to raise his own customs obstacles to calm the situation, while South Africa and Madagascar continue to search for a targeted act from America.
Malian Economist Etine Fakaba Sisoco has considered the end of the Egore as an opportunity for a new beginning, as other trading partners attain importance throughout the continent.
, [Arican] Countries should use this historical opportunity to free from their descendants. For 25 years, the first has been presented as a poison. In fact, it has mainly served the geographical interests of the United States, “he told DW.
Fakaba Sisoco says that the end of the earlier should be “taken as an opportunity to move with the logic of aid for the argument of autonomy for our states.”
“We need to create an African economic sovereignty that is no longer dependent on the craze of Washington or any other country.”
Olexuk agrees, saying that “was important earlier, but has lost its appeal.”
“Its death once again shows that Africa needs to diversify its business structures immediately.”
New partnership, new opportunities
The African Union (AU) has long been emphasizing to carry forward the African continental free trade sector (AFCFTA), which has been applicable since 2021 to strengthen the economic freedom of the continent.
The free trade sector, which includes 54 African countries with a population of about 1.5 billion people, can now be more attractive to companies in the continent than so far, according to trade experts Sane.
However, another trend is emerging at the same time: African trade participation with another region is so much that Africa’s way of viewing tomorrow’s trade can be defined.
China, which recently terminated its tattifasforce to 33 African countries, is especially making a name for themselves as an alternative partner.
In 2024, African exports to the US under AGOA reached a price of $ 8 billion (€ 7.6 billion), which was about half of the South African trade; According to data published by Chinese customs, trade between China and Africa increased by 4.8% to $ 295 billion in the same year.
With China, the European Union wants to import partners to African economies through the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).
Other countries in the form of India, Türkiye, Brazil and Russia are also trying to strengthen their presence on the continent.
A advisor for governance, development policy and entrepreneurship located in Washington DC, for Mazadi Kamra, has no question that Africa will have to diversify its partnership.
However, Kamra against changing the old dependence with new people: “The challenge for Africa is to interact on balanced agreements that actually promote local value construction,” he told DW.
Edited by: Sartar Sanderson