The House and Senate voted on Thursday to renew the Third-Country Fabric Provision of the Africa Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA), just two days before the start of the August Congressional recess. The Provision, set to expire on September 30, 2012, will now remain in place through September 30, 2015. President Obama is expected to sign the legislation promptly into law...
This long-awaited extension has been welcomed by civil society groups, private sector stakeholders in the US and Africa, as well as government officials such as US Trade Representative Ron Kirk. The extension is expected to halt the decline in factory orders for African garment exports under AGOA and to preserve thousands of critical jobs in the US and African countries.
AGOA, widely considered the foundation for modern US-Africa economic and trade ties, was signed into law in May 2000 by President Bill Clinton, with subsequent renewals in 2004 and 2006 under President George W. Bush. Over the last decade, the Third-Country Fabric Provision has created about 300,000 jobs and benefited millions of African families.
The Partnership to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa applauds the renewal of the Provision and thanks the many Members of Congress who reached across party lines to help lift millions of Africans out of poverty.
For more information on AGOA, visit www.agoa.gov.
