Justicia Shipena
The government has engaged with the United States to explore the possibility of a new trade agreement following the expiry of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) on 30 September 2025.
The executive director in the Ministry of International Relations and Trade, Ndiitah Nghipondoka-Robiati, confirmed to the Windhoek Observer that Namibia took part in the Public Oral Hearing for the annual review of AGOA country eligibility for 2026.
The hearing was held on 18 July 2025 at the Office of the United States Trade Representative in Washington, DC.
She said the session focused on AGOA eligibility criteria and gave Namibia an opportunity to present its position on maintaining and possibly extending the trade benefits.
“The government of the Republic of Namibia engaged with the United States Government during the hearing to present its perspectives on sustaining economic ties and expanding trade opportunities,” Nghipondoka-Robiati said.
She explained that the outcome of the hearing and related testimonies were submitted to the US Congress, which later decided the future of AGOA.
“AGOA formally lapsed on 30 September 2025, and reports have surfaced indicating that an extension has not been approved,” she said.
AGOA, which was introduced in 2000, gave thousands of products from African countries duty-free access to US markets.
The programme had been a key trade pillar for African economies for 25 years. It also shielded several export sectors from US tariffs of 10% or higher announced earlier this year.
Last week reports surfaced that the White House is considering a short-term extension. However, the US Department of Trade, Industry and Competition said Washington may only extend AGOA by one year.
Nghipondoka-Robiati said Namibia is willing to pursue any practical trade and investment options that will help maintain and strengthen its economic relationship with the United States.
She said although AGOA has expired and no extension has been confirmed, Namibia continues to trade with the US under the World Trade Organization’s Most-Favoured-Nation principle.
This ensures continued access to the US market, though exports are now subject to a 15%.
The ministry said Namibia’s post-AGOA approach focuses on strengthening participation in regional and multilateral trade systems such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU).
These frameworks, Nghipondoka-Robiati said, are expected to boost market access, industrial growth, and trade diversification.
Trade between Namibia and the United States has increased sharply, with exports rising from N$1.09 billion in 2023 to N$5.52 billion in 2024, mainly driven by mineral commodities.
Uranium accounted for 61% of exports, valued at N$1.93 billion, followed by industrial diamonds worth N$692 million and stone and cement products worth around N$250 million.
According to the ministry, exports that previously benefited from AGOA represented only 3.6% of Namibia’s total trade, mostly processed stones such as granite and marble.
The ministry said the impact of AGOA’s expiry is minimal, as about 95.9% of Namibia’s trade with the US already operates under WTO rules.
Nghipondoka-Robiati said bilateral trade between the two countries is expected to continue without disruption under existing international frameworks while Namibia works to deepen regional and global economic cooperation.
In April, Simonis Storm economists warned that new tariffs on exports such as diamonds, uranium, and fish could reduce Namibia’s competitiveness in the US market and affect foreign exchange earnings. However, they noted that the 15% tariff may have a limited impact on the overall export sector.
