US President Donald Trump recently issued a proclamation suspending application of duty-free treatment for all apparel items from Rwanda under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Rwanda, however, remains eligible for non-apparel benefits under AGOA. “We regret this outcome and hope it is temporary,” said Deputy US Trade Representative (USTR) CJ Mahoney. The Presidential action suspends AGOA benefits for a class of imports that totaled $1.5 mn in 2017, and which accounts for nearly 3 per cent of Rwanda’s total exports to the US, according to a report. The action does not affect the vast majority of Rwanda’s exports to the United States. “We look forward to working with Rwanda to resolve this issue so that benefits in the apparel sector may be restored,” Mahoney said.

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