United States President Joe Biden has officially removed Uganda and three other African countries from the beneficiaries of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), effectively ending Kampala’s ability to export certain commodities to the US duty-free. In a decree dated December 29, President Biden said he has “determined” that the four countries “do not meet the requirements” necessary to allow them to continue benefitting from the trade deal, effecting his earlier stated plans to remove them from the list of beneficiaries. “Accordingly, I have decided to terminate the designations of the Central African Republic, Gabon, Niger, and Uganda as beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries for purposes of section 506A of the Trade Act, effective January 1, 2024,” read the statement by Mr Biden.