Trump to remove Rwanda and South Africa from US trade deal
Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 2 Nov, 21:50 · Archive
Trump administration notifies Congress of intention to remove South Africa and Rwanda from preferential African trade programme.
US President Donald Trump has notified Congress of his intention to remove South Africa and Rwanda from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), a preferential trade programme that has allowed eligible African countries to export thousands of products to the US duty-free. The removal is set to take effect on 1 January 2027.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said an annual review of the programme had found that both countries were engaging in practices inconsistent with Agoa's eligibility criteria. The Trump administration cited barriers to US trade and investment, and concerns over national security and foreign policy interests in the region. For Rwanda, Washington additionally raised concerns about human rights, political pluralism, the rule of law and workers' rights. For South Africa, it pointed to corruption. The statement did not provide specific examples of the trade barriers or security issues cited.
The move comes barely a week after Rwanda's defence ministry was hit with sanctions by the US Treasury for its alleged role in the armed rebellion in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. South Africa has been Agoa's largest beneficiary, exporting 1.7 billion dollars worth of goods including car parts, citrus fruit and wine to the US under the programme in 2025. The announcement comes amid strained relations between Washington and both countries.
How it is being reported
- US to drop South Africa, Rwanda from duty-free trade initiativeThe Trump administration has said South Africa and Rwanda are breaking the rules of the AGOA free trade initiative, a centerpiece of US economic engagement with sub-Saharan Africa.DW News · 2 Nov, 21:40
- Trump to remove Rwanda and South Africa from US trade dealThe move comes barely a week after Rwanda's defence ministry was hit with sanctions by the US Treasury.BBC World · 2 Nov, 19:33
In this story: Donald Trump · South Africa · Rwanda · Jamieson Greer · Cyril Ramaphosa · Democratic Republic of Congo · African Growth and Opportunity Act
This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log
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