African textile exports to US drop

African textile exports to the United States, under a preferential trade arrangement, have fallen in the last few years, as the expiry date for the deal draws closer, a regional industry body said on Friday.

The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a US trade program that allows countries in sub-Saharan Africa to export thousands of goods to the United States without paying duties, was enacted in 2000, and expires in 2015.