20.09.2026 Regulation #USA #Import #Quotas #Trade agreements

US sets AGOA duty-free apparel quotas for Sub-Saharan Africa for 2026-2027

The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA), acting under the US Department of Commerce, published a Federal Register notice on September 18, 2026 setting new limits on duty-free imports of apparel assembled in beneficiary Sub-Saharan African countries from regional fabric and third-country fabric (full notice text). The limitations run from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027, the latest annual tranche of quotas under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), part of the Trade and Development Act of 2000.

How the cap is calculated

The overall ceiling for the coming period is set at 7% of the aggregate volume of apparel imported into the United States over the preceding 12 months. In physical terms that equals 1,690,799,016 square metre equivalents (SME). Per the notice itself, volumes across different fabric and knitwear categories are translated into SME using "the conversion factors for units of measure into square meter equivalents used by the United States in implementing the ATC," allowing shipments across product lines to be measured against one shared limit.

Of this overall amount, a share is set aside for lesser-developed beneficiary countries: 3.5% of the same base import volume, or 845,399,508 SME. This is not an independent pool but a portion carved out of the 1,690,799,016 SME overall ceiling — the notice states this volume is available "of this amount" for apparel imported under the special rule for lesser-developed countries.

The legal basis for the limits is Title I, Section 112(b)(3) of the Trade and Development Act of 2000, as amended by a series of subsequent statutes, most recently Division B, Section 2008 of the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027 (Pub. L. 119-103). Product coverage is defined not by individual tariff lines but by the Harmonized System lines listed in the annex to the WTO Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC), meaning the cap applies broadly across apparel categories rather than a narrow list of items.

What it means for importers

As long as cumulative shipments for the period stay below the ceiling, apparel assembled in AGOA countries from regional or third-country fabric continues to enter the US duty-free.
Quota fill can happen in two ways: if the portion reserved for lesser-developed countries (845,399,508 SME within the overall cap) is used up, preferential treatment ends for their shipments; if the entire overall cap (1,690,799,016 SME) is reached, preferential treatment ends for all AGOA beneficiaries. Either way, further shipments for the rest of the period are subject to normal applicable duties.
Buyers sourcing large apparel volumes from Sub-Saharan Africa should build quota-fill risk into contracts and logistics planning, since the relevant cap can be reached before the period ends, and should have a fallback plan for sourcing or duty exposure.

What's known about the quota-fill schedule

The limitation period runs from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027, taking effect at the start of the period. The CITA notice itself does not specify an interim publication schedule for quota-fill data.

Primary sources

This material is for information only and does not constitute legal advice or customs consulting. Verify changes against the primary sources before acting.