Ambassador: AGOA countries should negotiate FTAs before ‘graduating’ from program

A renewed African Growth and Opportunity Act should include revised income eligibility requirements, including a process that would allow a beneficiary country to negotiate a free trade agreement with the U.S. before graduating out of the program, the Mauritian ambassador to the U.S. said this week. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative on Monday held its annual AGOA eligibility review hearing , where witnesses from U.S. businesses and representatives from African governments largely testified in favor of extending the...