US confirms South Africa’s removal from AGOA in 2027
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Isolezwe
The United States has confirmed its intention to exclude South Africa from the AGOA trade programme, a measure due to take effect in January 2027. US Ambassador Jamieson Greer attributes the decision to South African policies, while Pretoria disputes Washington’s concerns.
The United States has confirmed its decision to remove South Africa and Rwanda from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) trade preferences from January 2027. US Ambassador Jamieson Greer said President Donald Trump believed the two governments did not meet the programme’s conditions, according to Isolezwe.
The US government considers South African policies to have led to the exclusion and says it had previously raised its concerns with Pretoria. Greer nevertheless said he hoped to find a solution to the disputes between the two countries, while urging South Africa to recognise the seriousness of the situation.
The confirmation puts into effect the threat of withdrawal raised by Washington, which wanted to remove Rwanda and South Africa from US trade preferences. On 21 October, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was already preparing his country for a possible exit from AGOA, a US trade preference scheme for African countries.
