Félix Tshisekedi asks the government to renegotiate the return of the DRC to AGOA
For the Head of State, “the DRC has taken measures which constitute positive responses to the requests of the United States and the international community, thus remedying the situation which had justified its exclusion” a few years ago of l ‘AGOA.
Among these democratic advances which “cement the establishment of a true rule of law in the DRC”, Félix Tshisekedi cited the return of freedom of expression and the opening of the media space; the establishment of an effective mechanism to combat trafficking in human beings; the effective establishment of an anti-corruption agency; the assertion by the DRC of zero tolerance in the recruitment of children into the Armed Forces or the development of a country-wide labor inspection strategy.
The Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is a United States trade law that aims to help countries in sub-Saharan Africa increase their access to the United States market with the goal of improving trade. AGOA can help producers on the African continent export their products to the United States duty-free. There is no size requirement for a business to be declared eligible, and there is no minimum set for the quantity of products it must export to benefit from AGOA.
Only countries in sub-Saharan Africa are eligible for AGOA. But to be eligible, any country must strive to improve, among other things, respect for human rights, labor standards and the rule of law.
The new president of the DRC, in office since January 24, believes that the country can again qualify for admission to AGOA. This will be an opportunity for economic operators in the DRC to export to the USA duty free.
