JOHANNESBURG, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- South Africa remains eligible for the extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) through the end of 2026, Minister of Trade, Industry, and Competition Parks Tau has said.
In a statement issued on Tuesday evening, Tau welcomed Washington's one-year extension of AGOA, noting that it provides short-term relief and certainty for South African exporters, but expressed concern over the brief duration of the extension.
"We are, however, concerned by the short nature of the extension, and we hope the United States will use this opportunity provided by the short extension toward a program that will provide certainty around investment and purchasing decisions," he said.
Tau added that South Africa continues to engage "constructively" with the U.S. administration in discussions aimed at reducing the 30 percent tariff imposed on South African goods in August 2025, stressing "a healthy trade relationship benefits both our countries."
Established in 2000, AGOA grants eligible African countries duty-free access to the U.S. market for selected products, including vehicles, clothing, and agricultural goods. The program expired on Sept. 30, 2025, but will be applied retroactively from that date, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer confirmed after U.S. President Donald Trump signed the extension into law on Tuesday. ■