The U.S. House of Representatives voted late Monday to extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act, a 25-year-old program between the U.S. and sub-Saharan African nations that underpinned the U.S.-Africa trade relationship.
AGOA provides qualifying sub-Saharan African nations with tariff-free access to the U.S. market for thousands of products in an effort to support economic development, rule of law, and stronger political ties.
The House passage, by a large bipartisan majority, comes after the House Ways and Means Committee last month approved the bill that would extend AGOA for three years.