United States: South Africa and Rwanda excluded from AGOA

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced that South Africa and Rwanda would be excluded from AGOA starting January 1. Washington cited practices deemed incompatible with the agreement’s eligibility criteria, including barriers to U.S. trade and investment and threats to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests. AGOA gives eligible sub-Saharan African countries preferential access to the U.S. market and has been extended through the end of 2028, subject to annual review. South Africa, the program’s largest beneficiary, faces mounting criticism from Washington, including claims of discrimination against white Afrikaners that Pretoria rejects.