Trump cuts South Africa, Rwanda from AGOA trade program
Semafor · Adrian Elimian ·
The president formally notified Congress and both governments of his decision on Monday.
The News
US President Donald Trump plans to remove South Africa and Rwanda from African Growth and Opportunity Act eligibility next year, stripping both countries of duty-free access to the US market under Washington’s flagship Africa trade program.
Trump formally notified Congress and both governments of his decision, the Office of the US Trade Representative said Monday, after an annual review determined Pretoria and Kigali have been engaging in “concerning and pervasive” practices inconsistent with AGOA’s eligibility criteria. These include “barriers that undermine American trade and investment” and practices that “pose a threat to US national security and foreign policy interests in the region,” US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said.