Trump to Remove South Africa and Rwanda from US Trade Programme

United States President Donald Trump has formally notified Congress of his administration’s intention to terminate the duty-free trade benefits for South Africa and Rwanda under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa). The exclusion is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027.

According to US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, an annual review concluded that both nations engaged in practices that fall short of the programme’s statutory requirements. The Trump administration specifically cited persistent barriers to US trade and investment, alongside broader concerns regarding regional national security and foreign policy. In South Africa’s case, Washington particularly highlighted issues related to corruption.

South African Trade Minister Parks Tau responded by calling the decision unfortunate. He noted that Washington introduced new concerns that had not surfaced during ongoing bilateral trade discussions initiated in 2025. Tau emphasized that South Africa will proactively accelerate the diversification of its export markets to safeguard local jobs.

Meanwhile, US Ambassador to South Africa Leo Brent Bozell III remarked that the outcome was regrettable yet preventable. He stated via social media that the termination stemmed from the South African government’s dismissal of legitimate concerns raised by the United States.

Relations between Washington and the two African nations have faced mounting strains. Last year, President Trump advanced controversial claims concerning South Africa’s white minority and initiated a program granting asylum opportunities to white Afrikaners, further compounding diplomatic friction.

For more details on this developing story, read the original report on Nile Post.