U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo on Thursday said he hoped Congress would extend a trade program that grants exports from qualifying African countries duty-free access to the U.S. market, hailing the strategic opportunities in the region.
Adeyemo told the Reuters agency that the two-decade-old African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which is due to expire in 2025, had played an important in Africa and should be extended.
“My hope is that Congress will act to make sure that we continue to have tools that allow us to deepen our trade with Africa,” he said.
“It matters to us. We need to seize the huge opportunity that it is for us to engage with Africa, a continent with a burgeoning young population that is central to many of our economic, but national security interests as well.” he added.