The United States has announced plans to remove South Africa and Rwanda from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), ending their preferential duty-free access to the American market from January 1, 2027.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced the decision on Monday, November 2, following an annual review of the eligibility of sub-Saharan African countries participating in the trade programme.
Greer said President Donald Trump had notified the US Congress and the governments of both countries of his intention to terminate their eligibility, citing practices Washington considers inconsistent with the programme’s requirements.
“These concerning and pervasive practices include, but are not limited to, barriers that undermine American trade and investment and practices that pose a threat to US national security and foreign policy interests in the region,” Greer said in a statement.
The US Trade Representative identified several concerns relating to both countries. In South Africa’s case, Washington cited barriers to American trade and investment, corruption and what it described as threats to US national security and foreign policy interests.
For Rwanda, the concerns included trade and investment restrictions, the rule of law, political pluralism, internationally recognised workers’ rights, human rights and national security considerations.
The announcement marks another development in strained relations between Washington and Pretoria, with disagreements extending beyond trade to include foreign policy and domestic governance issues.
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