Trump intends to exclude South Africa and Rwanda from the AGOA trade program

US President Donald Trump has notified Congress of his intention to exclude the Republic of South Africa and Rwanda from the AGOA duty-free trade agreement starting January 1, 2027. As reported by BBC News, an annual review by US authorities revealed that both countries failed to meet the criteria for participation in the preferential program.

According to US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, the administration made this decision due to barriers to American trade and investment, as well as concerns regarding national security and foreign policy. In a letter to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Donald Trump pointed to corruption, obstacles for American investors and farmers, and Pretoria's cooperation with states that cause concern for Washington.

South African Minister of Trade Parks Tau called Washington's decision regrettable, emphasizing that the country will continue to accelerate the diversification of its export markets to protect jobs. He noted that the volume of South African exports under the AGOA program decreased in 2025 to $1.7 billion, and about 89% of shipments to the United States were already being conducted under general World Trade Organization terms.

Regarding Rwanda, the White House raised concerns about the state of human rights, the rule of law, political pluralism, and the protection of labor rights. This move followed a week after the US Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions against Rwanda's defense ministry, accusing it of deploying troops and supporting the M23 rebel movement in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.