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As AGOA Trade Pact Expires, Is There a Way Forward?

As the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) expires, what are the prospects for renewal ofthe trade legislation that has been supported by every U.S. administration since it was adopted by Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 2000. The expiration is "dangerous," says Rosa Whitaker in an AllAfrica guest column. "AGOA has never been allowed to lapse, because U.S. policymakers understood the devastation it would cause in Africa - and the lost opportunities for America."

Whitaker, who as a Congressional aide was a key AGOA architect and then the first Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa, says the lapse "has already shaken confidence, killed investment, and canceled orders." What is needed now, she wries, is a reciprocal agreement that expands U.S. exports, incentives to boost investments in critical minerals and energy, and stronger U.S.-Africa partnerships.

DIRT

DTRT (Do The Right Thing) Apparel, an export-oriented manufacturer in Accra, founded in 2013 by Ghanaian, American and German entrepreneurs, which produces clothing for the U.S. market.

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