Flagship US–Africa Trade Program in Jeopardy Whether It’s Trump or Harris, Analysts Say

Powerful bipartisan forces want the U.S. to cease giving ‘handouts’ to African countries with close ties to America’s greatest geopolitical foes.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris (R) and her husband, Douglas Emhoff (L), wave as they board their plane to Lusaka, Zambia, at the end of their visit to Tanzania, on March 31, 2023. Ericky Boniphace/AFP via Getty Images

JOHANNESBURG—Whether Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris or Republican candidate former President Donald Trump triumphs in the upcoming election, African governments are concerned that the next administration in Washington will scrap a preferential trade program that earned them 9.3 billion tax-free dollars in 2023.

Under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), 32 qualifying countries enjoy tariff-free access to U.S. markets for thousands of products, including automobiles, clothing, fresh produce, and textiles.