The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) offers duty-free access to the largest market in the world, and has the potential to be a major driving force in African development. Thus far, however, it has failed to live up to its potential.US imports from Africa continue to be dominated by energy commodities. Of the top 10 African exports to the US, AGOA offers a major competitive boost in textiles, but little else. Even where the deal does grant a tariff advantage, African companies must still grapple with complex standards and rules of origin that often discourage otherwise competitive producers from exporting.
