US to Exclude South Africa and Rwanda from Africa Duty-Free Trade Deal

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said South Africa and Rwanda would be excluded from AGOA starting January 1, citing practices that do not meet the deal’s eligibility criteria. Renewed through the end of 2028 and reviewed annually, AGOA gives eligible sub-Saharan African countries preferential access to the US market. Washington cited barriers to trade and investment in South Africa, and recently sanctioned Rwanda’s defense ministry over alleged support for the M23 rebel group, which Kigali denies. South African Trade Minister Parks Tau said the country’s economy would remain stable and that it would seek other international markets.