Ethiopia, Guinea, and Mali Removed from AGOA

On November 2, 2021, President Biden announced three countries will be terminated from the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act trade preference program as of January 1, 2022, absent urgent action to meet statutory eligibility criteria. The Administration cited deep concerns over the unconstitutional change in governments in both Guinea and Mali, and by the gross violations of internationally recognized human rights being perpetrated by the Government of Ethiopia and other parties amid the widening conflict in northern Ethiopia. These countries are set to be removed from this program due to actions taken by their governments in violation of the AGOA Statute. The United States urged these governments to take necessary actions to meet the statutory criteria, and will provide each country with clear benchmarks for a pathway toward reinstatement.