For months, uncertainty hung over African exporters like a low cloud. Orders stalled.

Investment decisions were delayed. Trade officials quietly worried about what would happen if one of the continent’s most important trade bridges to the United States collapsed altogether. On February 3, that cloud lifted partially.

The United States has reauthorised the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) through December 31, 2026, restoring duty-free access to the U.S. market for dozens of African countries, including Uganda.

The announcement, confirmed in a press release by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), follows President Donald Trump’s signing of legislation extending the programme retroactively from September 30, 2025, when it expired.

For Ugandan trade advocates, the decision is both a relief and a warning. AGOA’s return restores short-term certainty for exporters of textiles, agricultural products, and manufactured goods.

But Washington has made it clear: the programme is coming back changed, and on stricter terms.

AGOA grants eligible sub-Saharan African countries duty-free access to the U.S. market for more than 1,800 products, in addition to over 5,000 products covered under the Generalized System of Preferences.

Eligibility is tied to economic reforms, respect for the rule of law, removal of trade barriers, and adherence to human rights standards. But the tone from Washington has shifted.

“AGOA for the 21st century must demand more from our trading partners and yield more market access for U.S. businesses, farmers, and ranchers,” said U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

“We must also make sure the program enhances U.S.–Africa trade and will work with Congress over the next year to modernize the program to align with President Trump’s America First Trade Policy.”