Agoa Extension Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. SEWELL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6500, the AGOA Extension Act.

For over two decades, AGOA, the African Growth and Opportunity Act, has affirmed America's commitment to expanding economic opportunity, creating jobs, strengthening strategic partnerships, and forging mutually beneficial economic bonds between the United States and our allies in sub-Saharan Africa.

Since its enactment in 2000, AGOA has provided duty-free access to the U.S. market for a broad range of goods from eligible AGOA sub- Saharan African countries. AGOA has enjoyed broad bicameral and bipartisan support from both Democrats and Republicans from both the House and the Senate.

By lowering barriers for African exports, AGOA expands demand for U.S. services and inputs--from agricultural equipment to digital and logistic services to energy and finance--supporting jobs at home and abroad.

In an era of global economic disruption, AGOA helps U.S. companies diversify supply sources and build resilient and market-oriented networks in key sectors, including textiles, agriculture, and renewable energy.

By providing preferential treatment for developing African countries, AGOA promotes U.S. strategic influence and democratic values, as well as economic prosperity. Eligibility under AGOA is directly tied to the progress by these developing African countries on market reform, rule of law, labor standards, and human rights.

The conditionality of this trade preference program harnesses trade as a catalyst for reform, not just revenue. Unfortunately, the AGOA program expired in September 2025, creating uncertainty for the future of America's relationship with the region.

The bill we are considering today will extend AGOA for 3 years and will send a clear message to the African Continent that we are committed to strengthening our shared prosperity.

Over the last few years, I have met directly with AGOA country leaders, civil society groups, and business communities about the importance of maintaining and improving the AGOA program.

I also had an opportunity to travel to Africa with Chairman Smith. To a person, they all said the same thing. While they wanted a 10-year reauthorization, and it was preferable, to a person they all said that we needed certainty in this program.

The fact that the program ended in September 2025 has been a serious source of concern for many. A clean, 3-year reauthorization is preferable to allowing AGOA to lapse because businesses require predictability and certainty.

Investment decisions cannot wait for prolonged negotiations or uncertainty. A lapse has caused immediate harm to African exporters and U.S. importers, disrupting supply chains and costing jobs on both sides.

Reauthorization preserves U.S. credibility. Letting AGOA expire signals disengagement at a time when competitors like Russia and China are deepening their presence across the continent.

Reforms can and should be considered, but holding the program hostage for a perfect bill is too high of a price to pay. The cost of inaction is far greater than the cost of moving forward today.

Africa provides an important growth opportunity for U.S. markets. Economic growth is rapidly accelerating on the African Continent. By 2050, one in four people in the world will be African. As women become more integrated into the formal economy and the young workforce is empowered by emerging technologies, the region is poised to be the next rising economic powerhouse in the 21st century.

Therefore, it is in America's national interest to strengthen our ties with the region and encourage this growth by deepening our trade relations. If we don't nurture this important relationship, China and others will. We can ill afford to allow others to fill the void.

AGOA is more than just about tariffs and duty-free access to markets. Passing this bill will demonstrate that Congress is committed to our long-term relationship with Africa. Most importantly, reauthorizing AGOA sends a very strong message that, even though the President's rhetoric toward many African countries has been a distraction, we in Congress do acknowledge the very important role that the continent of Africa plays.

To be clear, AGOA is not just a priority for the Congressional Black Caucus, although it is. It has been a decades-long bipartisan priority, and it stands as a proud example of America's commitment to deepening trust, stability, and shared prosperity with our AGOA allies.

I strongly support the 3-year reauthorization of the program. Moreover, during this extension, I hope we can continue our bipartisan efforts to modernize the program. I believe that we are making real progress on provisions that would strengthen enforcement, that would improve congressional oversight, strengthen critical mineral supply chains, improve utilization, and establish a smooth graduation path that encourages economic development.

Again, I thank Chairman Jason Smith, as well as Ranking Member Neal, for making AGOA a bipartisan priority for this committee. I also thank Ways and Means Chief Trade Counsel Alexandra Whittaker for her tireless efforts on this issue.

I strongly urge all of my colleagues to vote for this bill and to send a strong signal to our African allies that leaders in Congress, both Republicans and Democrats, respect and value our continued partnership.

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Ms. SEWELL. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett).

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Ms. SEWELL. Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore).

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Ms. SEWELL. Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Ms. Plaskett).

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Ms. SEWELL. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks), the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

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Ms. SEWELL. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from New York.

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Ms. SEWELL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

May I inquire as to how much time I have remaining.

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Ms. SEWELL. Madam Speaker, in closing, I again thank Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Neal, as well as Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Sanchez of the Subcommittee on Trade for working so hard to make sure that we reauthorize AGOA.

Last year alone, AGOA imports totaled $8 billion. Moreover, since 2002, AGOA has spurred more than $500 billion in exports to the United States.

However, this year, the impact of the reciprocal tariffs, coupled with the expiration of AGOA on September 30, threaten to erode 25 years of economic cooperation.

If we fail to act, we will likely see weakening supply chains and increased poverty across the continent. Moreover, many industries could shift investments away from Africa and toward Asia. Sub-Saharan African exports to China have overtaken exports to the United States. We should not allow this trend to continue.

AGOA remains a centerpiece of United States trade in that region, and turning our backs on Africa at this critical time would be disastrous. Africa is diversifying their economy. It is expanding past textiles and agriculture. The service sector is growing rapidly, and women are beginning to get opportunities to enter the formal workforce.

During my visits to several African countries over the years, and most recently with Chairman Smith, I witnessed personally the benefit of AGOA, and I witnessed the entrepreneurial spirit of the people. As internet access becomes broadly available, rapid economic growth and opportunity will follow.

We have the ability to benefit from this inevitable growth in Sub- Saharan Africa, and we should do something about it.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to be a part of this committee and a part of this bipartisan effort to make sure we do just that.

In closing, I quote the first African-American chair of the Committee on Ways and Means, Charlie Rangel, and what he said about AGOA. He is often known as the father of AGOA. Charlie said: ``Since it was enacted in 2000, AGOA has been the cornerstone of the U.S. trade policy with Sub-Saharan Africa and has been a true success.''

AGOA has further contributed to diversification and competitiveness of Sub-Saharan Africa's economies and supports hundreds of thousands of jobs across the continent and the United States. I can think of no better way for America to continue to expand its trade relationships with Africa than reauthorizing this very important piece of legislation.

Madam Speaker, I again ask my colleagues to vote in favor of this reauthorization and extend a warm and hearty thank you to Chairman Smith for making sure that this remains a bipartisan effort and we are getting it across the finish line.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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