In October 2000, the African Growth Opportunity Act amended the U.S. trade law to authorize the President to designate certain sub-Saharan African countries as eligible for duty-free tariff treatment for certain products under the Generalized System of Preferences (GS) trade program. AGOA also authorizes the preferential treatment for certain textile and apparel articles. One of the provisions in the eligibility process is whether the country has established, or is making continual progress toward establishing, the protection of intellectual property.  AGOA added over 1,800 products to the more than 4,600 products already included under GSP.  According to USTR, almost all African exports to the U.S. enter duty-free under GSP, AGOA or another zero rate of duty. 
 
The President monitors, reviews and reports to Congress each year on the progress of each county in meeting its current or potential eligibility for participation in the AGOA.  For example, in December 2009, the Administration terminated the AGOA eligibility of Guinea, Madagascar and Niger for their failure to meet the statutory obligations of AGOA.  As of January 2010, the following 38 sub-Saharan African countries are eligible for AGOA: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Comoros, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia. The AGOA program was originally funded through 2008, and Congress has extended this trade program through 2015. For further information on AGOA, please view the U.S. Department of Commerce’s website on AGOA, www.agoa.gov.

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AFRICA:  AGOA
  October 11, 2011 IIPA files public comments on annual review of country eligibility for benefits under the
African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
  August 29, 2011 IIPA files public comments on the Interim Review of Eligibility of Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, and Niger for Benefits Under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
  October 19, 2009 IIPA files comments on the annual review of country eligibility for benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
  October 20, 2008 IIPA files comments on the annual review of country eligibility for benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
  October 22, 2007 IIPA files comments on the annual review of country eligibility for benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
  October 20, 2006 IIPA submits comments to the TPSC on copyright issues in several African nations and the AGOA trade program.
  October 13, 2005 IIPA files comments with the TPSC on the copyright and enforcement provisions in the AGOA trade legislation and on the SACU FTA IPR negotiations.
September 17, 2004 IIPA files comments with the U.S. interagency on the copyright and enforcement provisions in the AGOA trade legislation and on the SACU FTA IPR negotiations.
October 10, 2001 IIPA comments on determining country eligibility for benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), Title I of the Trade and Development Act of 2000, 66 Fed. Reg. 49059 (September 25, 2001).
July 19, 2000 IIPA comments for determining eligibility for benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), Title I of the Trade and Development Act of 2000, 65 Fed. Reg. 38021 (June 19, 2000).

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