January 1, 2022 will see the termination of African Growth and Opportunity benefits for Guinea, Mali and Ethiopia due to non-compliance with the eligibility criteria.
In making the announcement earlier this month, US President Joe Biden cited Ethiopia for gross violations of internationally recognised human rights; Guinea for not having established, or not making continual progress toward establishing, the protection of the rule of law and of political pluralism; and Mali for not having established, or not making continual progress toward establishing, the protection of the rule of law, political pluralism, and internationally recognised worker rights, and for not addressing gross violations of internationally recognised human rights.
“Despite intensive engagement between the United States and the governments of Ethiopia, Guinea, and Mali, these governments have failed to address United States concerns about their non-compliance with the Agoa eligibility criteria,” Biden said.
Assessments of their progress would be ongoing, he added.
