The United States will strip South Africa of duty-free access under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) from next year, the US government announced on Monday night, the Daily Maverick reported. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said President Donald Trump had acted over practices inconsistent with the scheme's criteria, citing barriers to US trade and investment, corruption and threats to US security and foreign policy interests.
Trade Minister Parks Tau said the government had responded constructively to US concerns, made extra trade concessions and would support affected companies. He said Agoa exports were worth about $1.7 billion in 2025, down from $4 billion a year earlier, and made up around 1% of South Africa's global exports. He had said earlier that the country would have 60 days to appeal. The trade union federation Cosatu warned of further job losses in farming and manufacturing.
Source: Daily Maverick