Tai: Absent ‘urgent action,’ Ethiopia, Guinea and Mali to lose AGOA benefits

Ethiopia, Guinea and Mali will lose their benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act on Jan. 1 unless the countries take “urgent action” beforehand, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced on Tuesday, citing human rights violations in Ethiopia and “unconstitutional” government changes in Mali and Guinea. Despite “intensive” engagement between U.S. officials and Ethiopian, Guinean and Malian officials, the three governments have “failed to address” U.S. concerns about violations of AGOA eligibility criteria, President Biden said in a statement...