18th May 2026  /  EAGLE FM

The debate surrounding the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and China’s Africa Zero Tariff Agreement highlighted the growing challenge African countries faced in balancing trade relations between two major global powers, the United States and China. AGOA had provided eligible African nations with duty-free access to the American market, encouraging exports and strengthening economic ties with the United States, while China’s Zero Tariff Agreement had expanded opportunities for African exports into the Chinese market through reduced or eliminated tariffs. As competition between the two powers intensified, African countries had been placed in a delicate position where they needed to protect their economic interests without being drawn into geopolitical tensions