US to remove South Africa from AGOA on 1 January, and Pretoria looks to other markets
AGOA goods were already down to about 10% of exports to the US. Unions and citrus farmers fear for jobs.
Pretoria — The United States says it will withdraw South Africa's duty-free benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act from 1 January 2027, after 60 days' notice.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the decision followed concerns about barriers to US trade and investment, and corruption, among other issues. Rwanda is being removed too, on the same grounds, the USTR said.
Trade Minister Parks Tau said the decision does not define the wider relationship. His department says South Africa offered concessions beyond those agreed in 2015, and that the US raised new issues outside the talks that began in 2025. It promises support for affected sectors.
How much is at stake
- Share of exports: AGOA goods were about 10% of South African exports to the US in 2025, down from 28% in 2024, and worth nearly $1.7 billion. That is about 1% of the country's global exports.
- The wider trade: two-way trade reached $28.8 billion in 2025, and more than 600 US firms in South Africa support about 134,600 jobs.
- Jobs: Cosatu said thousands of farm and factory jobs are linked to the scheme, and citrus farmers called it a serious blow.
The government says it is pushing into other markets, including the African Continental Free Trade Area, India, the EU, the UK and China, and that new markets have opened for citrus, avocados, grapes and apples.
Source: SAnews via allAfrica, Daily Maverick, DW via allAfrica, November 2026.
