President John Mahama has delivered a stark assessment of U.S.-Africa trade relations, declaring the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) “technically dead” after the United States imposed new tariffs on Ghanaian exports — a 15% levy that he says signals the end of an era.

Speaking during his first major press conference since returning to office for a second term, Mahama didn’t mince words as he outlined the implications of the move, blaming a shift in U.S. foreign policy under former President Donald Trump for what he called the collapse of a decades-old trade framework that once gave African nations a competitive edge in the American market.

“Countries like ours enjoyed zero tariffs in the U.S. because we were in the developing world,” Mahama said. “It was a concession — a goodwill gesture. Then came Trump, with a transactional mindset. He slapped a 15% tariff on Ghana, from zero. AGOA is technically dead.”

The African Growth and Opportunity Act, or AGOA, was enacted in 2000 with bipartisan support and aimed to boost trade between the U.S. and sub-Saharan Africa by offering duty-free access for over 1,800 products. It was renewed in 2015 to run through 2025 — but that renewal now appears in jeopardy.

Mahama noted that the deal was due for renegotiation this September but expressed little optimism that it would survive under current U.S. trade policy.

“There is no way, with this 15% tariff, that AGOA is going to be renewed,” he said. “We are just watching carefully.”

While the power to impose tariffs technically lies with the U.S. Congress, Mahama suggested that the former president often pushed those boundaries.

“The president always pushes the limit,” he added.

The loss of AGOA benefits is a major blow for Ghana, which has spent years building up export sectors — from apparel to agriculture — that relied on duty-free access to the U.S. market. Now, Mahama warns, those industries may be forced to retrench or shift focus as the economics of trade with the world’s largest economy change overnight.

With the future of AGOA uncertain and global trade becoming more volatile, Mahama’s message was clear: the era of preferential treatment is over — and African economies must prepare for a new, harsher reality.

Source:TheDotNews