AGOA

AGOA

The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) builds on the existing Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) scheme and offers duty-free and quota-free market access to the United States for approximately 7000 products.
List of AGOA Beneficiary Countries

AGOA LEGISLATION AND SUBSEQUENT AMENDMENTS

AGOA Legislation AGOA Amendents: Eligibility of Namibia and Botswana to the third country fabric provision AGOA - Amendments: Extension of AGOA preferences to 2015 AGOA - Trade Preferences & Extension Act 2015 H. R. 7222 - AGOA Amendments: Eligibility of Mauritius to the third country fabric provision H. R. 5986 - AGOA Amendments: Extension of third country fabric provision to 2015

List of Eligible products

The AGOA/GSP program stands at approximately 7,000 product tariff lines, including the roughly 1,800 product tariff lines that were added to the GSP by the AGOA legislation. These include items such as apparel and footwear, wine, certain motor vehicle components, a variety of agricultural products, chemicals, steel and others.
GSP list of products Additional products added to the GSP list under the AGOA Scheme

Facts and Figures for USA (2010)

Area (km²)	Population	Total GDP	Per Capita	US Imports	US Exports
9.8 million	+306 million	US $ 14.3 trillion	US $ 46, 800	US $ 2, 115 trillion	US $ 1, 283 trillion

GSP Rules of Origin

General Rules of Origin (Non-textile and apparel)

In order to qualify for duty-free access to the US under GSP, the Rules of Origin require that the following rules be met:

Products must be imported directly from the beneficiary country into the United States;
Products must be "grown, produced or manufactured" of one or more of the beneficiary countries;
Products may incorporate materials sourced from non-beneficiary countries provided that the sum of the direct cost or value (i.e. the transaction value) of the materials produced in the beneficiary countries, plus the "direct costs of processing" undertaken in the beneficiary countries, equal at least 35% of the product's appraised value at the U.S. port of entry.

Rules of origin under GSP

Rules of Origin for textile and apparel

Apparel and textiles are not included under the General System of Preferences (GSP) program, on which AGOA is based. However, AGOA provides beneficiary Sub-Saharan African countries with duty-free access to the U.S. market for apparel, subject to specific rules of origin and other administrative requirements. Mauritius is eligible for the third country fabric provision.

AGOA Rules of origin for Textile and Apparel

Export Procedures for Textiles and Apparel products under AGOA

Registration

Any person or company willing to export under the provision of AGOA has to register with the Commerce Division of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Consumer Protection by filling a registration form available at the Ministry, 4th Floor, Anglo-Mauritius Building, Intendance Street, Port-Louis.

AGOA Visa Certificate

Each consignment of goods to be exported to the USA under the AGOA scheme should be accompanied by an AGOA Visa Certificate delivered by the:
Commerce Division
4th Floor, Anglo Mauritius Building
Intendence Street
Port Louis
Tel: (230) 208 7170
Fax: (230) 208 5250
Email: mcom@govmu.org

Application for an AGOA visa must be accompanied by the following documents

the original commercial invoices together with 2 copies;
the AGOA Textile Certificate of Origin in triplicate obtainable from the Mauritius Export Association ( MEXA)
the Export Declaration Form obtainable from the Mauritius Export Association (MEXA)
Copy of the Export Permit duly approved by the Ministry
Customs Declaration (Import and Export)
Costing (where applicable)
Affidavit , Import Invoice (where applicable)
Receipt from the Accountant General Office in respect of the fee paid for export under the Third Country Fabric Provision.
Any other documents as may be required by the Foreign Trade Division