US Duty-Free Trade Pact With Dozens of African Nations Expires

A US accord that grants more than 1,800 products from 32 African nations duty-free access to the world’s biggest market expired Tuesday night, halting a decades-old program aimed at promoting development and democracy on the continent.

While President Donald Trump’s administration supports extending the non-reciprocal African Growth and Opportunity Act, that can only be done by an act of Congress.

That didn’t happen before the midnight deadline, Washington time. And it’s unclear when such action may come. US lawmakers have been primarily focused on the ongoing government funding standoff, which triggered a shutdown Wednesday without an agreement in place. ...