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Can AfCFTA anchor Africa's trade future as AGOA faces uncertainty?

Even as Donald Trump’s tariff barrage rattled economies across the world, many African nations—already grappling with structural vulnerabilities—have found themselves squarely in the line of fire after the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) officially lapsed on September **, leaving the future of African trade with the US uncertain, and adding a fresh layer of uncertainty to an already fraught trading environment.

For a quarter century, AGOA has been the linchpin of US economic engagement with sub-Saharan Africa, offering duty-free access to the world’s largest consumer market for more than *,*** products on top of the *,*** items covered under the Generalised System of Preferences. But now, the ground is shifting beneath the continent’s feet.