Cameroon Kicked Out of AGOA
Cameroon will no longer have duty free access to the U.S market and will be subject to quotas and other restrictions, including limited interaction with American companies for trade.
U.S President Donald Trump has signaled his intention to kick Cameroon out of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) from January 1, 2020. In a letter to the United States Congress, the President, who retains the power to choose beneficiaries of the preferential trade agreement, cited “gross violations of internationally recognized human rights, contravening the eligibility requirements” necessary for participation in the program.
The decision means Cameroon will no longer have duty free access to the U.S market and will be subject to quotas and other restrictions, including limited interaction with American companies for trade. The move comes after the United States earlier restricted military aid to the central African country. These sanctions are a direct result of the Anglophone crisis, which has been going on for three years between separatists and the Cameroonian government.
The news has received mixed reactions, with separatists and human rights organizations welcoming it as a sign that the international community is finally responding to the suffering of innocent civilians. In contrast, the Cameroonian government has expressed its dissatisfaction. Cameroon has, however, sent a delegation to the U.S to hold talks about possible readmission and hopes the decision can be reversed.
This setback comes at a time when the effects of the crisis on the Cameroonian economy are coming to a head with a significant drop in the export of cocoa, coffee, wood, banana, and other products from the affected zones. Agricultural products from non-affected areas that make up exports under the AGOA deal will now be subject to tariffs, spreading the effects of the conflict to other parts of the country. Those calling for sanctions hope international pressure will force Cameroon to engage in dialogue that will lead to a negotiated settlement.
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