The United States said it will suspend South Africa and Rwanda from duty-free access to the U.S. market.
The U.S. intends to remove both countries from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), its preferential duty-free trade programme for qualifying African states.
However, South Africa had been the largest beneficiary of AGOA, exporting more goods than any other country under the programme.
In 2025, South Africa exported goods worth about 1.7 billion dollars under AGOA, while total U.S. imports under the programme were about 5 billion dollars.
AGOA exports made up about 1 per cent of South Africa’s total global exports in 2025, according to the country’s trade ministry.
Almost 90 per cent of South Africa’s exports to the U.S. did not benefit from AGOA.
The U.S. is South Africa’s second-largest export destination after China.
South Africa’s bilateral trade with the U.S. reached about 29 billion dollars in 2025, while its bilateral trade with China was around 36 billion dollars in the same year.
South Africa’s main exports to the U.S. include precious stones and metals, motor vehicles, and iron and steel.
Its exports under AGOA are mainly motor vehicles and parts, as well as farm products such as citrus fruits and wine.
During his first administration in 2018, President Donald Trump suspended Rwanda’s right to export clothing duty-free to the United States after Kigali raised tariffs on imports of used clothing and footwear.
Rwanda exports mainly coffee and tea, alongside smaller agricultural, processed, and mineral shipments to the United States under AGOA.
According to U.S. import data, though official sources do not specify how much entered under AGOA preferences, goods imported from Rwanda totalled 43.3 million dollars in 2025, up 43.3 per cent ($13.1 million) from 2024.
AGOA eligibility is based on factors including the country’s level of economic development, governance based on the rule of law, and respect for human rights.
Eligible countries must not undermine US national security or foreign policy interests, according to the act.
Countries that have lost eligibility include Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, and others, mainly because of human rights and rule-of-law issues.
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