AGOA Extension Act
Sponsors
Jason Smith
R-MO | Primary Sponsor
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Smith of Missouri (for himself and Mr. Smith of …
Summary
What This Bill Does
The AGOA Extension Act extends the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) for over three additional years, from September 30, 2025 to December 31, 2028. AGOA allows eligible sub-Saharan African countries to export goods to the United States duty-free. The bill also provides retroactive relief for any imports made during a gap period if the original program lapsed before the extension was enacted.
Who Benefits and How
Sub-Saharan African exporters and manufacturers, particularly in the textile and apparel sectors, benefit by maintaining tariff-free access to the lucrative U.S. market, helping them remain competitive and sustain export-driven jobs. U.S. importers, retailers, and consumers also benefit from continued access to African goods at lower prices without paying customs duties.
Who Bears the Burden and How
U.S. domestic manufacturers who compete directly with African imports (such as textiles) face continued competition from duty-free goods, potentially affecting their market share and pricing power. U.S. taxpayers effectively forgo customs revenue that would otherwise be collected on these imports, with estimates suggesting hundreds of millions in foregone duties over the extension period. U.S. Customs and Border Protection faces administrative burden processing retroactive duty refund requests.
Key Provisions
- Extends AGOA preferential trade treatment from September 30, 2025 to December 31, 2028
- Extends the "third country fabric" provision that allows African apparel makers to use fabric from anywhere while still qualifying for duty-free treatment
- Provides retroactive application for imports made during any lapse period between the original expiration and enactment
- Allows importers to request refunds of duties paid during the lapse period within 180 days of enactment
- Extends customs user fees through December 31, 2031 to help offset revenue costs
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Extends the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) preferential trade treatment for eligible sub-Saharan African countries from September 30, 2025 to December 31, 2028, allowing duty-free imports of qualifying goods from these countries.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Extend existing preferential trade program with minimal changes, providing continuity for trade relationships and allowing retroactive application for entries made during any lapse period"
Likely Beneficiaries
- Sub-Saharan African exporters and economies
- U.S. importers of African goods
- U.S. retailers and consumers of African products
- African textile and apparel manufacturers
Likely Burden Bearers
- U.S. domestic manufacturers competing with duty-free African imports
- U.S. taxpayers (foregone customs revenue)
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_president"
- → President of the United States
- "the_commissioner"
- → Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
An article from a country designated by the President as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country under section 104 of AGOA as of the day before enactment
Includes a withdrawal from warehouse for consumption
A country designated by the President under section 104 of AGOA (19 U.S.C. 3703) for duty-free treatment
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology