NAIROBI, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The self-serving and ulterior political motives attached to the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) have undermined the growth of Africa's industries, a Kenyan scholar has said.
Patrick Lumumba, a legal scholar and former director of Kenya's anti-graft agency, told Xinhua in an interview that the pact has largely favored the geopolitical interests of the United States at the expense of Africa's economic competitiveness and manufacturing base.
Implemented in 2000, AGOA grants duty-free treatment for selected products such as textiles, agricultural goods and vehicles from designated sub-Saharan African countries. Originally due to expire in September 2025, the pact has been extended to Dec. 31, 2026, by the U.S. Congress, with provisions that include expanded access for U.S. goods to African markets.
Lumumba said that more than two decades of AGOA's existence have delivered negligible economic benefits for African countries, as evidenced by stagnant or declining textile industries.
"It comes with conditionalities; it is either you do what America wants, or you are shut out. Over the years, textile industries have been closed as a result of AGOA," he said.
Citing Lesotho and Kenya, the scholar noted that AGOA's promise of unfettered access to the U.S. market for apparel manufactured in these countries has remained a mirage.
A large number of textile industries in Kenya have shut down due to an imbalanced trading regime under AGOA, he said, adding that neighboring Uganda is facing a similar situation.
Stressing the unfair conditions imposed by AGOA, along with the latest unilateral tariffs, Lumumba said this presents an opportunity for Africa to reevaluate its economic ties with Washington.
The African Continental Free Trade Area and China's zero-tariff treatment for 53 African countries, set to take effect in May, could offer hope for the continent, while the BRICS countries present a lifeline for African nations seeking to accelerate industrial growth and integrate into global supply chains, the scholar said.
A more integrated Africa that reduces tariff and non-tariff barriers, while adding value to agricultural and mineral resources, stands a better chance of weathering shocks linked to unfair trading practices associated with AGOA, Lumumba added. ■
