The US government under President Donald Trump plans to remove South Africa and Rwanda from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), Tanzania's Mwananchi reported. Washington says both countries have failed to meet the conditions for taking part in the trade programme. The decision was announced on Monday and is expected to take effect in January 2027.
Agoa lets eligible African countries sell more than 1,800 types of goods in the US market without paying customs duty. To qualify, countries must remove barriers to US trade and investment and run a free-market economy. They must also respect democracy, the rule of law, human rights and workers' rights. The US reviews each country's eligibility regularly.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Trump intends to end the two countries' participation. He said their governments had acted against the programme's criteria. In a statement, Greer said this included imposing barriers that undermine US trade and investment. He also cited conduct that threatens US national security and foreign policy interests in Africa.
South Africa has been one of Agoa's biggest beneficiaries. In 2025 it exported goods worth more than $1.7 billion to the US under the programme, including car parts, citrus fruit and wine. South Africa's trade ministry said Agoa exports make up about 10% of all its goods sent to the US. They account for only 1% of its global exports.
The ministry said Agoa matters for trade ties with the US but is not the only basis for economic cooperation. In a statement on Monday, the government said South Africa would remain an important trading partner. It promised to support any sectors hit if the decision goes ahead. President Cyril Ramaphosa has recently urged the country to prepare by finding new markets and strengthening trade deals with other partners, including China.
South Africa's citrus industry warned that the move could damage the whole value chain on both sides of the Atlantic. It said growers, traders and workers could all be hit, putting jobs at risk. The US statement listed Rwanda among the countries due for removal but gave no further detail. Agoa was passed in 2000 under President Bill Clinton. Trump renewed it in February this year after the previous period expired.