By Thebe Mabanga
Trade and industry minister Parks Tau has welcomed the United States House of Representatives’ decision to extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), but South Africa still faces significant hurdles to secure its continued participation.
On Tuesday, the lower house of the United States Congress passed the bill to extend AGOA for another three years, to 2028, by 340 votes to 54.
“While South Africa, together with other AGOA-eligible countries, have been advocating for a long-term renewal of AGOA with all countries retained in the programme, the current renewal, while short, provides the necessary relief to companies in the context of the tariffs implemented by the United States,” Tau said in a statement, referring to the Liberation Day 30% tariffs imposed on a range of countries, including South Africa, last August.
“This will provide certainty and predictability for African and American businesses that rely on the
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