Tell the U.S. Government Mauritania Remains Ineligible for Trade Benefits

The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) authorizes the President of the United States to designate sub-Saharan African countries as beneficiaries eligible for duty-free treatment for certain products, giving preferential trade with eligible countries. 

In 2018, the Trump Administration rightfully ended Mauritania’s designation as a beneficiary due to forced labor. In the notice to Congress on this termination, President Trump wrote: “Mauritania has made insufficient progress toward combating forced labor, specifically, the scourge of hereditary slavery.” Mauritania remains suspended.

Every year when AGOA is renewed, the government requests “public comment” on the law, including which countries should or should not be eligible. We know that the Mauritanian government continues to fail to address forced labor and slavery, failing to uphold the rule of law, and engaging in violations of internationally recognized human rights. Mauritania is also engaging in land grabbing, race-based hiring, and racial discrimination. Therefore, it continues to fail to meet requirements for AGOA eligibility.

Click this link to send a message to the U.S. government.

On the comment page, there is a message already written that you can send if you do not want to write your own. If you are personally affected by and/or your human rights have been violated by the Mauritanian government, we recommend you delete the pre-written message and use this space to write about your own experiences. When you are done writing the message, hit the red button to send!

  • Your story and name WILL be included on a federal website. Do not share sensitive or private information. If you prefer, you may use an “alias” rather than your real name.

  • Either way, your contact information will NOT be included on the website.

  • The deadline to send in your comment is June 23, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. EDT.

Background Resources