But the trade agreement with the US is only extended to December

The Lesotho government has welcomed the extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which grants duty-free access to the US market for several African countries.

The extension of AGOA until 31 December 2026, signed into law by US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, provides temporary relief to exporters, but it falls short of expectations for a three-year renewal that would have offered certainty to investors and workers.

GroundUp has previously reported on job losses in Lesotho's textile industry amid the uncertainty over US import tariffs and an end to AGOA.

Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn

South Africa is included in the extension, although US lawmakers are intent on removing the country from AGOA in the future.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Nyakallo Ntsinyi, spokesperson for the Lesotho Ministry of Trade, Industry and Business Development, said the extension provides for further engagement with the US on securing long-term market access for Lesotho's exports.

She said the US remains one of the country's key export destinations. While engaging with the US to strengthen that relationship, Lesotho is also exploring alternative markets.

Ambassador Jamieson Greer, the United States Trade Representative, said in a statement that the extension was part of a broader reassessment of AGOA, noting that, in line with Trump's America First policy, the programme "must demand more from our trading partners and yield more market access for US businesses, farmers, and ranchers".

Lesotho had hoped for a longer renewal after the US House of Representatives approved a three-year extension of AGOA on 12 January.

Lesotho, alongside Madagascar, Mauritius, and Tanzania, all major African AGOA exporting countries, held meetings with various US congressional committees last month to lobby for a three-year extension.