Trump Moves To Drop Rwanda And South Africa From AGOA Trade Preferences On January 1, 2027
The U.S. Trade Representative says the president found both governments' practices inconsistent with the program's eligibility criteria.
President Trump has notified Congress and the governments of Rwanda and South Africa that he intends to end both countries' participation in the African Growth and Opportunity Act trade preference program as of January 1, 2027, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said Monday. AGOA is the U.S. program that gives eligible sub-Saharan African countries preferential trade treatment.
Review found "inconsistent" practices
Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said his office led the annual interagency review of sub-Saharan African countries' eligibility for the program. Based on that review, he said, Trump found that the two governments are engaging in practices inconsistent with AGOA's eligibility criteria.
Greer called the practices "concerning and pervasive" and said they include, but are not limited to, barriers that undermine American trade and investment and practices that threaten U.S. national security and foreign policy interests in the region.
Different concerns for each country
For Rwanda, the administration said it is deeply concerned about trade and investment barriers, rule of law, political pluralism, internationally recognized worker rights, human rights, and threats to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests.
For South Africa, the listed concerns are barriers to U.S. trade and investment, corruption, and threats to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests.
Greer said the administration is working to ensure African partners take the steps needed to meet the eligibility criteria, with January 1, 2027 as the stated termination date.
Sources
- Ambassador Greer Issues Statement on President Trump’s Intent to Terminate Rwanda and South Africa from the AGOA Trade Preference Program — Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
- 3 South African Mining Stocks Facing Agoa Tariff Pressure — Yahoo Finance
- 3 Mining Stocks Exposed To Africa Critical Minerals And AGOA Trade Risk — Yahoo Finance
- Across the Globe — link.cfr.org
- https://link.cfr.org/public/39302581 — link.cfr.org
- Across the Globe — link.cfr.org
