US plans to end South Africa and Rwanda’s AGOA access in 2027

Politics · First reported 2 Nov, 19:33 · Updated 20:28

Image: Wikimedia Commons · NASA Johnson Space Center · Public domain

The Trump administration plans to remove South Africa and Rwanda from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which provides duty-free access for eligible African exports to the US, from 1 January 2027. US officials cited eligibility concerns; South Africa had said it was preparing for a negative review outcome, while the reports note no immediate response from either country.

The planned removal from AGOA is scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2027; the programme gives eligible African countries duty-free access to the US market for thousands of products.
US officials cited eligibility concerns for both countries, including trade barriers; the reports also describe US concerns about governance and human rights in Rwanda and corruption in South Africa.
South Africa had said it was prepared for a negative review outcome and was seeking other markets; neither country had immediately responded to the announcement, according to the reports.

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Key facts

Effective date: 1 January 2027
Programme: African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which provides duty-free access for eligible African exports to the US
South African exports under AGOA: About $1.7bn in 2025
US trade representative: Jamieson Greer