Trump gives notice of intent to end Rwanda and South Africa trade benefits
The intended withdrawal would take effect on 1 January 2027, following a US eligibility review, removing the countries’ access to AGOA trade preferences.
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The intended withdrawal would take effect on 1 January 2027, following a US eligibility review, removing the countries’ access to AGOA trade preferences.
US President Donald Trump has notified Congress and the governments of Rwanda and South Africa of his intent to end their eligibility for the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) trade preference program, the Office of the United States Trade Representative said. The intended termination date is 1 January 2027; the notification does not put the withdrawal into force.
AGOA allows qualifying goods from designated countries to enter the United States without import duties, subject to rules on the products and where they were made. Termination would remove that eligibility for Rwandan and South African exports, rather than set a single tariff on all goods from either country.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said his office led the annual eligibility review involving several government agencies. Based on that review, Trump found that both governments were engaging in practices inconsistent with AGOA’s eligibility criteria.
For Rwanda, the administration cited concerns about trade and investment barriers, the rule of law, political pluralism, internationally recognized worker rights, human rights, and threats to US national security and foreign policy interests.
For South Africa, the administration cited barriers to US trade and investment, corruption, and threats to US national security and foreign policy interests.
Under 19 U.S.C. § 2466a, the president must give Congress and the affected country at least 60 days’ notice, including the reasons for termination. When the president finds insufficient continuing progress toward eligibility requirements, the law provides for termination on 1 January of the following year.
Before the notification statement, South Africa’s Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau said his government had engaged constructively on all US concerns and remained open to dialogue. In an 30 October 2026 article, SAnews said Tau had met Greer in September after two rounds of senior-official discussions. Tau said practical proposals had been submitted but declined to disclose their details while talks continued.
The US trade office’s statement gives no product-level tariff schedule or value for the trade affected. Greer said the administration was working to ensure its African partners took the steps needed to meet eligibility criteria, but the statement specifies no country-level remedies or further decision dates before the intended withdrawal.
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