The office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) said on Sunday that Burkina Faso has been excluded from the United States' trade preference programme due to severe concerns over a "unconstitutional shift" in the West African nation's administration.
Burkina Faso had two military coups that year as a result of the populace's frustration with the government's inability to stop the operations of armed groups. Despite efforts to tighten security by both the past and current military regimes, assaults have continued.
Some sub-Saharan African nations are eligible for duty-free entry into the United States under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), providing they satisfy certain requirements.
According to the USTR's office, Washington will work with Ouagadougou to assist Burkina Faso in rejoining the trade programme after it was suspended for breaking AGOA standards.
Reiterating a statement from November, the Burkinabe Ministry of Foreign Affairs replied to the decision on Monday by asserting that the timescale for returning to democracy had not changed.
In a deal agreed in July with the ECOWAS group of West African nations, Burkina Faso promised to reestablish constitutional power within a year.
One of the world's poorest nations is Burkina Faso. Thousands of people have been slaughtered there by armed groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS), which has led to one of the fastest-expanding humanitarian tragedies on the continent.
Across the desolate landscape, around two million displaced people are housed in makeshift camps. The United Nations is in charge of running several of these locations.
The greatest fighting over the past seven years has been in the north and east, where it has stunted economic progress, exacerbated widespread food poverty, and made it difficult for aid agencies to assist people in need.
A high-ranking UN representative was asked to leave Burkina Faso by the military government soon before Christmas. The UN appealed the decision, arguing that "the doctrine of persona non grata does not apply to United Nations workers."
At the time, the government did not provide an explanation, but the foreign minister has charged Barbara Manzi, the official, for inflating dangers to national security.