非洲的增长与机遇----世界银行非洲增长与机遇：行动研究会议

Growth and Opportunity for Africa The World Bank Africa Growth and Opportunity:Research in Action ConferencePublic Disclosure Authorized Florizelle LiserLaird Treiber Development Economics Vice PresidencyOffice of the Chief Economist and Senior Vice PresidentDecember 2025 Policy Research Working Paper11277 Abstract value chains have deepened, notably in Southern Africa’sautomotive industry, where South Africa’s African Growthand Opportunity Act–eligible auto exports (~$2.6 billion)integrate components from neighbors such as Botswana andLesotho. Nonetheless, supply‑side bottlenecks, limited firmawareness, and uncertainty from time‑limited reauthoriza‑tions and annual eligibility reviews have constrained uptake.The policy implications are threefold: (i) reauthorize theAfrican Growth and Opportunity Act on a long horizonto reduce uncertainty and encourage investment; (ii) alignwith the African Continental Free Trade Area by facilitatingregional cumulation and considering inclusion of NorthAfrica; and (iii) evolve toward a more reciprocal—but stillpreferential and development‑oriented—framework thatcouples market access with support to address logistics,standards, and competitiveness constraints. This paper examines whether the African Growth andOpportunity Act—the United States’ unilateral trade pref‑erence program for Sub‑Saharan Africa—has served as aneffective instrument for development and what its modern‑ization should entail. The study synthesizes 25 years of theAfrican Growth and Opportunity Act experience using U.S.International Trade Commission and related trade statistics,complemented by sectoral and country case studies. Thefindings indicate that while overall U.S.–Africa two‑waytrade remains modest ($48.7 billion in 2024, below its2008 peak), the African Growth and Opportunity Act’simpacts have been more substantial in non‑oil sectors wheretariff preferences are largest. In textiles and apparel—facingmost favored nation tariffs of roughly 15‑32 percent—theAfrican Growth and Opportunity Act has supported morethan 1 million formal jobs, with women comprising 75‑90percent of plant workforces in several countries. Regional The Policy Research Working Paper Series disseminates the findings of work in progress to encourage the exchange of ideas about developmentissues. An objective of the series is to get the findings out quickly, even if the presentations are less than fully polished. The papers carry thenames of the authors and should be cited accordingly. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper are entirely thoseof the authors. They do not necessarily represent the views of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/World Bank andits affiliated organizations, or those of the Executive Directors of the World Bank or the governments they represent. Growth and Opportunity for Africa The World Bank Africa Growth and Opportunity: Research in Action Conference Florizelle Liser President and CEO for Corporate Council for Africa and Laird Treiber Director of Trade and Investment Programs at the Corporate Council on Africa JEL Classification Codes: F13: Trade Policy, International Trade OrganizationsF15: Economic IntegrationF50: International Relations and International Economics: GeneralO10: Economic Development: GeneralO24: Trade Policy, Factor Movement Policy, Foreign Exchange PolicyO55: Africa Introduction I am Florie Liser, President and CEO of the Corporate Council on Africa, or CCA, and I amhonored to have been invited to deliver the keynote address for the 2025 Africa Growth andOpportunity: Research in Action (AGORA) conference. I congratulate the World Bank Group, theBank of Italy and the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Italy on putting together such a timelyevent focused on what works, and what does not, in terms of creating the jobs Africa needs to turnits growing young population into a demographic dividend. This is a critical issue not just forAfrica, but also for all of Africa’s partners, including the United States and Europe. The organizers asked me to address the topic of “the African Growth and Opportunity Act(AGOA): Achievements and Future Pathways,” including reflecting on its accomplishments andchallenges, its overall impact, and some thoughts on what should come next. I am delighted to try to answer those very important questions this morning. As the President of a Washington-based trade association promoting U.S.-Africa trade andinvestment, I have a strong belief in the power of trade and investment to create jobs, innovation,and economic growth. Before assuming my current position at CCA 8 years ago, I spent 36 yearsworking in the U.S. government, 23 of which were in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative,including serving several Presidents as the Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa.Altogether, I worked on African trade and development issues in government for 30 years. Drawing from that perspective