US to suspend South Africa and Rwanda from duty-free trade access
South Africa to lose duty-free access, affecting $1.7bn worth of annual exports, including cars and farm products.
The United States has said it will suspend South Africa and Rwanda from duty-free trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), effective January 1, 2027.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Monday that both countries had failed to meet AGOA’s eligibility criteria. South Africa has been the largest beneficiary of the programme, exporting about $1.7bn worth of goods to the US under AGOA in 2025.
“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.
With regard to South Africa, Washington said it was concerned by barriers to US trade and investment, corruption and threats to US national security and foreign policy interests.