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United States and Ugandan officials are set to meet over President Biden’s decision to temporarily halt Uganda’s access to duty-free benefits due to   non-compliance with AGOA standards. The American Chamber of Commerce in Uganda seeks to extend AGOA and emphasizes its benefits.

This week, officials from the United States and Uganda will convene in South Africa to deliberate on President Joe Biden’s resolution to temporarily halt Uganda’s access to duty-free benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), with effect from January 1, 2024. 

Biden stated that human rights abuses and governance concerns—specifically, Uganda’s non-compliance with AGOA qualifying standards—were the basis for his decision.

“Not to be over-concerned by the recent actions by the American Government in discouraging their companies from investing in Uganda and on removing Uganda from the AGOA list,” President Museveni responded to the comments made by Ugandans.

Museveni maintained that Uganda has “the capacity to achieve our growth and transformation targets, even if some of the actors do not support us,” adding, “Some of these actors in the Western World overestimate themselves and underestimate the freedom fighters of Africa.” 

However, the American Chamber of Commerce in Uganda said in a statement on Tuesday that a delegation of U.S. exporters, in collaboration with the Uganda AGOA Country Response office and the Minister of State for Trade and Industry, is currently present in Johannesburg, South Africa for the 20th Annual AGO Forum Made in Africa: Global Trade, Local Impact. 

“During this event, representatives from all African countries will kindly be requesting the U.S. Government officials, including Don Graves, Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Commerce, to kindly consider extending the program for another 10 years,” said the Chamber of Commerce.

Susan Muhwezi, the Presidential Advisor on AGOA, is in charge of Uganda’s AGOA team.

Since then, Muhwezi has urged American officials to take into account the predicament faced by Ugandan citizens who export goods to American markets.

Muhwezi questioned, “Are the US considering the livelihoods of these exporters who have invested in value addition and are exporting, as they think of evicting Uganda as an AGOA beneficiary?”

“I firmly think that’s an essential human entitlement since commerce is about generating wealth and achieving prosperity,” she continued.

“We eagerly anticipate receiving positive feedback following the meetings between the Ugandan and US government officials in Johannesburg and in the upcoming weeks,” stated the US Chamber of Commerce in Uganda.

“AGOA has proven to be a beneficial trade agreement for both Africa and the USA, as it has contributed to the creation of over 155,000 jobs in the U.S.” the organization that unites American businesses operating in Uganda stated. “Uganda has experienced significant growth in exports during the COVID years, surpassing some of our East African neighbors.”

$174 million worth of goods, including coffee, vanilla, cocoa, casein, tea, specialty foods, textiles, crafts, home goods, leather, and other clothing and accessories, were traded between Uganda and the United States in 2022.