US Senate Votes in Favor of Extending AGOA Till End of 2028
On 8 August 2026, the US Senate voted in favor of the AGOA Extension Act by 90 to 6 votes, indicating strong bipartisan support. Only 2 Republicans and 4 Democrats voted against the H.R. 6500 Bill.
In February 2026, the US House of Representatives already passed H.R. 6500 to extend AGOA for three years up till the 31st of December, 2028. In the interim, Congress allowed AGOA to be extended for one year till the end of 2026.
The foundation of the AGOA remains unchanged, tying preferential access to the US market opening up local markets to US businesses, and general adherence to US national interests. The Third-Party Fabric is carried forward by allowing lesser developed countries to import yarn or fabric from non-AGOA countries, to produce apparel destined for the US market. Opponents underscored that the provision of fabric from third-party countries removes the incentive for companies to invest in spinning, weaving, and dyeing in order to build up the whole textile value chain.
However, the application of the Third-Party Fabric is subject to certain notable exceptions. South Africa can no longer benefit from it due to its relatively advanced development stage. Recently, South Africa has also known an exodus of foreign workers due to increased nationalism. On the other hand, Mauritius still can take advantage of this rule despite being about to graduate into a high-income economy.
“AGOA for the 21st century must demand more from our trading partners and yield more market access for US, farmers and ranchers … ensuring more reciprocal trade with our Sub-Saharan African partners to strengthen America’s global competitiveness.”
US Trade Representative Jaimison Greer
As per the recommendation of the Ways and Means Committee, new language is introduced to prioritize and streamline access and processing of #CriticalMinerals in AGOA countries. The Committee highlights American strategic interests and underscores the risk of leaving a void for competitors to exploit.
Only minor amendments were introduced and the House of Representatives is expected to allow their incorporation without great difficulty. Then, the next step would be for President Trump to sign off for it to become law.