03.11.2026 Regulation #USA #Import #Duties #Trade agreements
US intends to remove South Africa and Rwanda from AGOA as of 1 January 2027
President Donald Trump has notified Congress and the governments of Rwanda and South Africa that he intends to terminate both countries' participation in the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) trade preference program, effective 1 January 2027. The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) announced this in a statement dated 2 November 2026.
Grounds for the decision and the parties' positions
Ambassador Jamieson Greer said USTR led the annual interagency review of sub-Saharan African countries' AGOA eligibility, and that on the basis of that review the President found the governments of Rwanda and South Africa to be engaged in practices inconsistent with the eligibility criteria. Greer called these practices "concerning and pervasive" and said the administration is working to ensure its African partners take the steps needed to meet the criteria (USTR).
According to USTR, its concerns about Rwanda cover:
- trade and investment barriers;
- the rule of law and political pluralism;
- internationally recognized worker rights and human rights;
- threats to US national security and foreign policy interests.
For South Africa, the administration cites barriers to US trade and investment, corruption, and threats to US national security and foreign policy interests.
Trump's letter to President Ramaphosa, dated 28 October and obtained by SABC News, gives 60 days' notice of his intent to end South Africa's AGOA eligibility from 1 January 2027; the areas of concern it names include agricultural market access, regulatory requirements, investment protections and intellectual property (Mail & Guardian, citing SABC News). South Africa's Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) said it had offered concessions beyond those made in 2015, and that the US is raising new issues that were not part of the negotiations under way since 2025 (Mail & Guardian).
As background, Moneyweb notes that US–Rwanda relations have deteriorated over Kigali's involvement in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo; USTR does not list this among its stated grounds.
What changes for importers
AGOA was introduced by the US Congress in 2000 and, according to Moneyweb, gives duty-free access to the US market for more than 1,800 products. If participation is terminated as USTR has announced, AGOA preferences will not apply to goods from South Africa and Rwanda from 1 January 2027. As Moneyweb describes it, South African exports will no longer enter duty-free under AGOA and will instead face the standard US tariff regime, meaning the normal duties applied to countries without a preferential trade arrangement.
AGOA is authorised through 31 December 2026
The president signed the reauthorization on 3 February 2026, extending AGOA through 31 December 2026, retroactive to 30 September 2025. USTR said at the time that AGOA covers over 1,800 products in addition to those under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), and that it would work with Congress "over the next year" to modernize the program (USTR, 3 February 2026).
The program's authorisation expires on 31 December 2026; USTR's statement on ending South Africa's and Rwanda's participation from 1 January 2027 does not address extension of the program itself.
Primary sources
- USTR: Ambassador Greer Issues Statement on President Trump's Intent to Terminate Rwanda and South Africa from the AGOA Trade Preference Program
- USTR: Statement from Ambassador Jamieson Greer on the Reauthorization of the African Growth and Opportunity Act
- Mail & Guardian: SA challenges Trump's AGOA decision
- Moneyweb: South Africa, Rwanda lose access to AGOA
This material is for information only and does not constitute legal advice or customs consulting. Verify changes against the primary sources before acting.