Constance Hamilton, Assistant US Trade Representative for Africa, made this statement during a digital press briefing held on Thursday. “Those decisions are still pending,” Ms Hamilton told journalists from the continent, and that “there probably will not be an announcement at the time that we get to the AGOA Forum,” she said referring to the upcoming AGOA forum. Last month, US officials announced that the 20th US-Sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum (AGOA Forum) will be hosted by South Africa in Johannesburg from 2–4 November, 2023. In June 2022, State Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Tesfaye Yilma held talks with Ambassador Tracy Jacobson, Chief of Mission, at the US Embassy in Addis Ababa. During his visit to Ethiopia in March this year, Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed with Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen, where the extension of AGOA privileges emerged as a significant talking point.
