Africa: AGOA Expires Today – A Personal Reflection & The Way Forward

Accra — Nearly 30 years ago, five of us – bipartisan Congressional staffers on Capitol Hill – joined forces with five African leaders, including officials of the African Union and even a few Heads of State. We locked ourselves into the granular trade details, often late into the night, drafting what would become the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

Signed by President Bill Clinton in 2000, expanded by both Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. AGOA, heretofore, has been supported…