The United States Senate has approved a two-year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), preserving duty-free access to more than 1,800 products from eligible African countries until December 2028.

The extension provides relief to African businesses that rely on access to the US market, as the current agreement was due to expire at the end of September.

AGOA has been a key pillar of US-Africa trade relations for 25 years, enabling the United States to import billions of dollars worth of duty-free products, including automobiles, clothing and other goods, from 32 sub-Saharan African countries.

US Senator Raphael Warnock, who supported the extension, said the measure would help lower the cost of goods while strengthening economic stability and US national security