The African Growth and Opportunities Act, more commonly known as AGOA, is a trade arrangement between the US and more than 30 sub-Saharan African countries, including Botswana. The agreement was established in 2000 and provides relaxed access to the American market for participating African states.
In March, a report by a United States agency, requested by legislators from that country, found that Botswana was among countries with the continent’s lowest exports under AGOA. Botswana’s utilisation rate of the trade arrangement fell from 100% to zero in the last decade, echoing, but considerably worse than, many other countries on the continent.
