WASHINGTON — US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Monday that Washington intends to suspend South Africa and Rwanda from duty-free access to the US market under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), the trade preference programme that has given eligible African countries tariff-free entry for thousands of products since 2000.

Source: Reuters

"President Trump found that the governments of Rwanda and South Africa are engaging in practices that are inconsistent with AGOA's eligibility criteria," Greer said in a statement. He said the "concerning and pervasive practices" include barriers that undermine American trade and investment and practices that pose a threat to US national security and foreign policy interests in the region.

President Donald Trump has notified Congress and the governments of both countries of his intention to terminate their AGOA eligibility effective January 1, according to South African reporting of the USTR statement. There was no immediate response from either government when the announcement was made.

Source: The Sowetan

$1.7 billionSouth African goods exported to the US under AGOA in 2025 (yaani about 170 crore dollars)
1,800+Products covered by AGOA duty-free access
January 1Date the termination of eligibility is to take effect
2000Year AGOA began

For Rwanda, Washington highlighted trade barriers, the rule of law and human rights among its concerns, Reuters reported; Bloomberg reported the US statement also cited political pluralism. Rwanda was previously suspended from parts of the programme in 2018. For South Africa, the administration said it is deeply concerned about barriers to US trade and investment, corruption, and threats to US national security and foreign policy interests.

The US trade office has accused South Africa of maintaining high tariffs on US poultry, wine and spirits while giving preferred access to the European Union, and of imposing unjustified animal-health restrictions on US pork products. Washington has also taken issue with South Africa's foreign policy, in particular the genocide case it brought against Israel at the International Court of Justice — a case Israel denies. The Trump administration says South Africa persecutes white people; South Africa's government says that claim is a falsehood spread by fringe groups. Both claims are reported here as the two governments state them.

Source: Reuters

Pretoria had been bracing for the decision. South Africa's trade ministry said last week it was prepared for a negative outcome from the eligibility review and remained open to dialogue, and Trade Minister Parks Tau said South Africa had done all it could to stay in the pact. President Cyril Ramaphosa has said in recent weeks that the country must prepare for being cut out of the programme and is already seeking new markets and signing trade deals with other partners, including China.

AGOA itself nearly lapsed for good: the pact expired in September 2025 after Congress failed to agree a renewal, before Trump signed legislation in February this year extending it to the end of 2026. Beneficiaries must meet eligibility requirements on market-based economies, good governance and removing barriers to US trade and investment, and Washington reviews them every year — the review from which Monday's decision came.

Source: Moneyweb (Bloomberg)