US to Suspend South Africa and Rwanda from Duty-Free Trade Programme
The United States will suspend South Africa and Rwanda from its flagship duty-free trade programme for sub-Saharan Africa from January 1, 2027, in a move expected to affect exports including South African automotive products and wine and Rwandan coffee.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer notified Congress on Monday of the decision to remove the two countries from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), citing concerns over human rights, corruption and threats to US national security and foreign policy interests.
Enacted in 2000, AGOA provides eligible African countries with duty-free access to the US market for thousands of products. South Africa has been the programme’s largest beneficiary, exporting about $1.7 billion worth of goods to the US under AGOA in 2025.
“President Trump found that the governments of Rwanda and South Africa are engaging in practices that are inconsistent with AGOA’s eligibility criteria,” Greer said.
The Trump administration has repeatedly criticised South Africa’s policies, including allegations of persecution of white South Africans, which Pretoria rejects. Washington has also criticised its foreign policy, particularly its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Israel denies the allegations.
Rwanda’s suspension is believed to be linked to the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where Washington accuses Kigali of supporting M23 rebels. The US recently imposed sanctions on Rwanda’s defence ministry and other entities over alleged support for the group.
Rwanda has already faced a partial AGOA suspension since 2018, affecting its apparel exports.
South Africa’s trade ministry said it would support affected industries while seeking to expand trade and investment ties with the United States. It added that AGOA exports accounted for about 10% of the country’s total exports to the US and just 1% of its global exports.
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has said his government is preparing for exclusion from the programme by pursuing new export markets and trade partnerships.
The suspensions mark another setback in Washington’s trade relations with Pretoria and Kigali, while raising questions about the future of US preferential trade arrangements with African countries.
