Abstract:
The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is a trade arrangement scheme between
the United States of America and eligible sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. It offers nonreciprocal
preferential treatment over 7000 products exported from African countries to the
US market. AGOA is one among a number of trade preferential schemes that Tanzania is
eligible. The Act provides for issues such as but not limited to trade and investment. Tanzania
has a history of poor export performance despite the preferential treatment. This legal study
examines the existing legal and regulatory framework governing trade and investment in an
attempt to identify regulatory weaknesses resulting in Tanzania's poor trade performance.
Also, the study indulges in Kenya's experience under AGOA to find whether Tanzania may
draw lessons from the country success story under the preferential arrangement. The study
then formulates recommendations in view of improving Tanzania's trade enabling
framework to increase exports and potentially become a regional trade hub including
establishing an effective national AGOA strategy.
