Reuters reports that African exporters have embarked on a final effort to save the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a trade pact that gives the continent duty-free access to the U.S. market. The act will expire at the end of the month. Delegations from five African manufacturing countries visited members of Congress in Washington last week to lobby for its continuance. An attempt to renew the act, which traditionally enjoys bipartisan support, didn’t make it to a vote last year, and the Trump administration’s tariff policies have raised doubts about its future. Hundreds of thousands of jobs are on the line, with some governments already in talks with Chinese companies. (REUTERS)
Saudi Arabia has signed a mutual defense treaty with Pakistan. The move reportedly reflects worry in the Kingdom about the stability of defense treaties with the United States, following Israel’s attack on Qatar, although a senior Saudi defense official said, “This is not a response to specific countries or specific events but an institutionalization of longstanding and deep cooperation between our two countries.” Pakistan’s status as a nuclear power and a close ally to China shifts the defense landscape, and the official acknowledged the need to rebalance relations with India. (REUTERS)
