In a recent interview with Germany’s Table.Media, Rosa Whitaker, President and CEO of the Whitaker Group, shared her perspective on the future of U.S.–Africa trade relations following the expiration of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

Rosa Whitaker, a pioneering architect of AGOA and the first U.S. Assistant Trade Representative for Africa, reflected on both the program’s successes and its limitations. “AGOA was an opportunity, never a guarantee,” she explained. “It only worked for those countries that already had the basic conditions for global trade.”

While AGOA significantly diversified U.S.-Africa commerce and created hundreds of thousands of jobs, Whitaker warned that its expiration could weaken ties between the two regions—especially in critical sectors like minerals and manufacturing. “The U.S. needs critical minerals for industry and to remain competitive. Now we have to go through China to get them,” she noted, emphasizing the urgency for renewed engagement.

Looking ahead, Whitaker remains optimistic about the policy’s future: “I think we will get a one-year extension for AGOA,” she said, outlining her vision for a “stronger, longer-lasting” framework for U.S.–Africa trade.

Read the article here: Table.Media