The expiry of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) is expected to weaken Namibia’s export diversification and reduce investment incentives in value-added industries, Simonis Storm has warned.
The United States (US) trade framework officially expired on 30 September, ending 25 years of duty-free access for goods exported from sub-Saharan African countries to the US.
Simonis Storm junior economist Almandro Jansen says the loss of US trade preferences will make it harder for Namibian sectors such as fish processing, beef, beverages and manufactured goods to compete globally.
“For Namibia, the direct exposure under Agoa has historically been modest, given that its US-bound exports are concentrated in uranium, non-monetary gold, copper and diamonds – commodities that already attract low most-favoured-nation (MFN) duties,” Jansen says.
He notes that Agoa’s expiry marks a major shift in Africa-US trade relations, with far-reaching implications for export growth, industrialisation and regional strategy.
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