Trump Administration Moves to Remove South Africa and Rwanda from AGOA Trade Benefits

The United States has formally informed Congress that President Donald Trump intends to remove South Africa and Rwanda from a preferential trade programme effective 1 January 2027.

Under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), qualifying African nations can export thousands of goods to the United States duty-free.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stated that a routine annual review determined both nations were engaging in practices inconsistent with the programme’s eligibility standards.

Greer added that the Trump administration has also directly notified both governments of the decision.

The administration cited obstacles to American trade and investment, alongside national security and regional foreign policy concerns.

Regarding Rwanda, Washington specifically cited concerns over human rights, political pluralism, the rule of law, and labour rights.

The announcement follows US Treasury sanctions imposed less than a week ago on Rwanda’s defence ministry over its alleged involvement in the armed insurgency in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

According to the Treasury, Rwanda’s defence ministry deployed thousands of troops to fight alongside M23 rebels in eastern DRC, supplying weapons, equipment, logistics, and training.

In South Africa’s case, the US also cited corruption.

“The Trump administration is working to ensure our African partners take the necessary steps to meet the eligibility criteria,” Greer stated.

South African Trade Minister Parks Tau called the decision “unfortunate,” noting that Washington is raising issues that were not part of the trade negotiations between the two countries, which began in 2025.

“We will continue to accelerate the diversification of South Africa’s export markets to protect jobs,” Tau said.

US Ambassador to South Africa Leo Brent Bozell III said it was regrettable that South African policies led to its removal from AGOA.

“This was a predictable and preventable outcome resulting from the rejection by South Africa’s government of real concerns raised by the US,” he wrote on X.

The announcement comes amid strained relations between Washington and both capitals, with the proposed removal threatening their access to preferential trade arrangements with the United States.

Last year, Trump accused South Africa of white genocide during a White House meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa and established a US refugee pathway for Afrikaners.

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