US removes South Africa from AGOA, putting thousands of jobs at risk

By Thapelo Molefe

Thousands of jobs in South Africa’s agricultural and manufacturing sectors are at risk after the United States announced its intention to remove the country from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), ending preferential access to the American markets from January 2027. 

The United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced on Monday that President Donald Trump had notified Congress and the governments of South Africa and Rwanda of his intention to terminate their participation in the programme from 1 January 2027.

The decision followed an annual review which found that the two countries were engaging in practices inconsistent with AGOA’s eligibility requirements. 

The USTR said it was concerned about barriers to US trade and investment, corruption and threats to American national security and foreign policy interests.

“Based on the review, President Trump found that the governments of Rwanda and South Africa are engaging in practices that are inconsistent