The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced that on November 2, 2018, President Trump provided notice to Congress and the Government of Mauritania, of his intent to terminate Mauritania’s status as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), effective January 1, 2019.
Based on results under the AGOA eligibility review, it was determined that Mauritania is not making sufficient progress toward establishing the protection of internationally recognized worker’s rights, causing them to be out of compliance with eligibility requirements of AGOA. Specifically, Mauritania has made insufficient progress toward combating forced labor. In addition, the Government of Mauritania continues to restrict the ability of civil society to work freely to address anti-slavery issues.
The U.S. will continue to monitor whether the Government of Mauritania is making continual progress toward establishing the protection of internationally recognized worker rights for potential reinstatement of eligibility, in accordance with the AGOA eligibility requirements.
If you have any questions regarding the Mauritania’s status under AGOA, Livingston can help! Please contact either your Livingston account manager or our regulatory affairs department at usregaffairs@livingstonintl.com