US excludes Ethiopia, Mali and Guinea from Agoa trade deal
Guinea, Mali and Ethiopia were suspended from Agoa, the free trade treaty between the United States and Africa.
© AFP PHOTO / Karen BLEIER
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
Joe Biden's administration announced this Saturday, January 2, that it had excluded Ethiopia, Mali and Guinea from Agoa, a trade agreement binding the United States to Africa.
Washington has ruled that the actions taken by these three governments violate its principles.
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The United States today excluded Ethiopia, Mali and Guinea from the Agoa trade preference program because of actions taken by each of their governments in violation of the statutes
" of this agreement, indicated the US Trade Representation (USTR) in a statement.
The African Growth and Opportunity Act (
Act Growth and development opportunities in Africa
in French) is a trade agreement set up in 2000 under the Clinton administration to facilitate and regulate trade between the United States and 'Africa.
Unconstitutional changes and human rights
"
The Biden-Harris administration is deeply concerned about the unconstitutional change of the governments of Guinea and Mali,
" it is detailed.
In addition, the administration is concerned about "
flagrant violations of internationally recognized human rights, perpetrated by the Ethiopian government and other parties in the conflict that is spreading in northern Ethiopia,
" it said.
"
Each country has clear benchmarks for a path to reintegration and the administration will work with their governments to achieve this goal,
" says USTR.
Under the Agoa Agreement, thousands of African products can benefit from import tax reductions.
But this agreement is only possible subject to conditions fulfilled concerning human rights, good governance and the protection of workers as well as not to apply any customs ban on American products on their territory.
►Also read: Mali and Guinea's exit from Agoa will have a low economic impact
(With AFP)
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