US report confirms collapse of Botswana’s AGOA exports

A report by a United States agency has found that Botswana has the continent’s lowest exports under the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA), with the country’s utilisation rate of the trade arrangement falling from 100% to zero in the last decade.

AGOA is a trade arrangement between the US and nearly 50 sub-Saharan African countries, including Botswana, established in 2000 and providing relaxed access to the American market. The report by US International Trade Commission (USITC), made available this week, follows a request by a committee of the US House of Representatives. The committee requested an analysis of AGOA’s industries and beneficiary countries, including trends and utilisation trends as well as the trade deal’s impacts on workers, underserved communities, regional integration, and economic development.