Bill > SR0037

This resolution urges the President of the United States and Congress to renew the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a trade preference program initially enacted in 2000 that provides eligible sub-Saharan African countries with duty-free market access to the United States for over 1,800 products. The resolution highlights the program's importance, noting that in 2024, 32 countries were eligible for AGOA, with total imports valued at 9.3 billion dollars in 2023. The resolution emphasizes that to remain eligible, countries must progress toward establishing market-based economies, protecting human rights, and reducing trade barriers. Specifically, the resolution calls for renewing the AGOA, which is currently set to expire in September 2025, and expanding the program to include additional sub-Saharan African countries. For Michigan, this is particularly significant, as the state engaged in over a billion dollars of two-way trade with AGOA-eligible countries in 2024. The resolution suggests that expanding AGOA could help Michigan businesses by encouraging economic and commercial reforms in participating nations, ultimately creating stronger international trading partnerships.

https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2025-SR-0037