Why Donald Trump is unlikely to mess much with African aid and trade
The US president-elect has been vocal about his unhappiness with foreign aid and trade deals, but Africa could be spared the chop, writes Kathy Davy
We can only speculate as to what extent the Donald Trump administration could affect Africa. However, we believe the two main areas of concern, based on Trump’s election rhetoric, are foreign trade and US foreign assistance. Trump has openly voiced his unhappiness with both overseas aid and existing trade deals. Could the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) be cancelled under Trump? Although vocal on existing trade deals, Trump has mentioned very little with respect to his stance on trade with Africa. Perhaps this is because in 2015, non-oil and gas trade into the US under Agoa was only about $4.5bn, representing just 2% of the US’s total global trade and hence very insignificant for the country. Agoa is a trade agreement with the US that allows 38 eligible sub-Saharan African countries to export thousands of different products to the US duty-free. This treaty was recently renewed and expires in 2025. Trump’s concern with US trade deals is rooted in the notion that these deals...
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