On Monday, the United States announced that it would suspend South Africa and Rwanda from the duty‑free benefits of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) effective Jan. 1 2027, according to a statement by U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to Congress.
Greer said the suspensions were driven by “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,” and that President Donald Trump had found the governments of the two countries engaged in activities inconsistent with AGOA’s eligibility criteria.
South Africa had been the program’s largest beneficiary, exporting about $1.7 billion of goods to the United States in 2025, including car parts, citrus fruit and wine. Rwanda’s primary exports to the U.S. have been coffee and minerals.
Other outlets have reported the same decision. A report on Aljazeera cited the announcement, though the referenced page is currently inaccessible. Reuters also covered the move, though the link to its story appears to be unavailable at present.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer
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.
