On October 30, 2015, President Barack Obama notified Congress of his intent to terminate the designation of the Republic of Burundi (Burundi) as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
This step was taken because the President determined the government of Burundi has not established, or is not making continual progress toward establishing the rule of law and political pluralism as required under AGOA eligibility requirements.
He noted Burundi’s continuing crackdown on opposition members has worsened significantly during the presidential election campaign that returned President Nkurunziza to power. Also, noting that the government has blocked opposing parties from holding organizational meetings and campaigning throughout the electoral process. This contributed to nearly 200,000 refugees fleeing the country since April 2015.
Questions about this regulatory update may be directed to Livingston’s US Regulatory Affairs group: usregaffairs@livingstonintl.com.