US removes Ethiopia, Mali and Guinea from AGO trade program | Conflict News

The United States has removed Ethiopia, Mali and Guni from its tax-free trade program for alleged human rights violations and recent coups.

The United States has excluded Ethiopia, Mali and Guinea from the tax-free trade program for alleged human rights violations. last shots.

Speaking on Saturday, the US Trade Representative (USTR) said the three countries had withdrawn from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) “as a result of actions taken by each government in violation of the AGOA Statute”.

The United States said it was “very concerned.” serious violations As a result of the internationally recognized human rights of the Ethiopian government and other parties, the conflict in northern Ethiopia is escalating, as well as “the unconstitutional change of the governments of Guinea and Mali.”

The Washington embassies in the three African countries did not immediately comment.

AGOA trade legislation provides sub-Saharan African nations with tax-free access to the United States if they meet certain eligibility requirements, such as removing U.S. trade and investment barriers and advancing political pluralism.

In 2020, 38 countries were eligible for the AGOA.

In a statement on Saturday, USTR said Ethiopia, Mali and Guinea could still join the treaty if they comply with the provisions of the statute.

“Each country has clear benchmarks for a path to recovery and the Administration will work with its governments to achieve that goal,” he said.

U.S. President Joe Biden announced in November that Ethiopia would withdraw from its tax-free trade scheme under the AGOA due to alleged human rights violations in the north of the country.

The war in the Tigray region of Ethiopia began in November 2020 between a power struggle between the Tigray leader and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Abiy. Ten thousand people have been killed in the 13-month-long conflict, and about 400,000. Tackling the Tigray famine alone.

The conflict has also destabilized the region, sending tens of thousands of refugees to Sudan, bringing Ethiopian soldiers out of war-torn Somalia and using the neighboring national army in Eritrea.

The U.S. is threatening to suspend Ethiopia’s trade benefits by threatening the country’s textile industry, which supplies global fashion brands, and the country’s nascent hopes of turning it into a lightweight manufacturing hub.

Conflict, coronavirus pandemics and high inflation also put more pressure on the economy.

The Ethiopian Ministry of Commerce said in November that it was “very disappointed” with Washington’s announcement, saying that the move would reverse economic gains and unfairly affect and harm women and children.