NEW YORK, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- The United States plans to suspend South Africa and Rwanda from duty-free trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), with the suspensions taking effect on Jan. 1, 2027.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Monday notified Congress of the news. "President (Donald) Trump found that the governments of Rwanda and South Africa are engaging in practices that are inconsistent with AGOA's eligibility criteria," he said in a statement.
Both countries are being suspended due to "barriers that undermine American trade and investment and practices that pose a threat to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests in the region."
South Africa has been the largest beneficiary of AGOA, exporting about 1.7 billion dollars' worth of goods to the United States under the program in 2025, with main exports including car parts, citrus fruit and wine. Rwanda's main exports to the United States are coffee and minerals.
Enacted in 2000, AGOA has been the centerpiece of U.S. economic engagement with Africa, offering duty-free access to the U.S. consumer market for thousands of products from eligible countries, local media reported Monday. ■