On May 18, 2000 President Clinton signed into law the historic Trade and Development Act of 2000, containing the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). (The text of the Act is available at the AGOA website, http://www.agoa.gov and at the USTR website http://www.ustr.gov ). The Act provides unprecedented opportunities and aims to:

 Promote increased trade and investment between the United States and sub-Saharan African countries by providing eligible African countries with unprecedented liberal access to the U.S. market. Essentially all products of these eligible countries will have quota free/duty free access to the almost 10 trillion dollar United States market.

 Promote economic development and reform in sub-Saharan Africa, moving across a wide range of industries, granting tangible benefits to entrepreneurs, farmers, and families.

 Promote increased access and opportunities for U.S. investors and businesses in sub-Saharan Africa.

The African Growth and Opportunity Act offers a wide variety of benefits to businesses, workers, manufacturers, and farmers in eligible countries. It is important to remember that the Act can only offer opportunities! African countries are encouraged to seize the opportunities provided in the Act and to create enabling environments to strengthen prospects for expanded trade and investment.

Click on the following link and have the list of AGOA eligible countries, the effective date of their eligibility, and the effective date of their eligibility for AGOA apparel benefits if applicable. Country Eligibility List

On May 16, 2002, the President of the United States of America, George W. Bush proclaimed that Cote d'Ivoire is designated as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country. Read the full proclamation here

For more information, please contact us or visit the AGOA website