Describes bilateral and multilateral trade agreements that this country is party to, including with the United States. Includes websites and other resources where U.S. companies can get more information on how to take advantage of these agreements.
Last Published: 8/23/2019

Angola joined the World Trade Organization in 1996 and in September 2015 completed its second 5-year review of this membership.  Angola benefits from Africa Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA), the U.S. preferential trade agreement that provides duty-free status for qualifying goods exported from Angola to the United States.  Given Angola’s dominance in extractive industries, exports benefiting from this U.S. government program are predominately oil, with some diamonds and wood exports.  The Angolan Government is working to diversify its economy and recently established an export promotion agency, AIPEX to encourage exports, including to the United States, that could take advantage of AGOA.

At a regional level, Angola is a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), but it is not party to the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) that involves 5 of the 15 SADC member countries with the objective of reducing trade barriers among countries in the region.  Angola has taken steps to examine potential participation in the future.

On March 21, 2018 Angola signed the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).  In order for the treaty to go into effect a minimum of 22 countries must ratify it.  To date, 27 countries have ratified the treaty, but Angola has not yet done so.  Angola has also discussed pursuing customs agreements with its neighboring countries of Namibia, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
 
 

Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.