South Africa today lamented the new demands of the US in trade negotiations, despite Pretoria's concessions after Washington announced the country's exclusion from its African customs-free trade programme.
© Reuters
02/11/2026
by
Lusa
A South Africa today deplored the new demands of the US in trade negotiations, despite Pretoria's concessions after Washington announced the country's exclusion from its African customs-free trade programme.
“ It is regrettable that the United States is now raising new issues that were not the basis for discussions in the context of the negotiation process initiated in 2025,” lamented South African Trade Minister Parks Tau.
The representative of the White House for Trade (USTR), Jamieson Greer, had today announced Washington's intention to exclude South Africa and Rwanda from the Growth and Opportunities Act for Africa (AGOA).
According to the news agency France-Presse (AFP) there are issues related to customs barriers and investment, the rule of law and political pluralism, the USTR announced, pointing to corruption and threats to US national security or its foreign policy interests with regard to South Africa.
AGOA is an agreement that allows many African products to have access to the US market free from customs duties, and is especially important for South Africa, the most industrialized economy in sub-Saharan Africa.
South Africa had expressed its hope on Thursday that Washington would take a favourable decision on its stay in the trade agreement between the United States and the African continent, which was not the case.
For months this southern African country has been in the crosshairs of the government led by Donald Trump, who has accused him of an alleged persecution of the Afrikaners, the descendants of the white European settlers, since their return to power, and has also suffered a restriction on the granting of entry visas in the United States.
The United States remains an important partner for South Africa, with over 600 US companies operating in the country, where they hold around 134,600 jobs.
The automotive and agricultural sectors (including citrus fruits) are particularly affected by the AGOA, writes AFP, noting that in 2025, the employers’ organisation of the South African car sector, Naamsa, estimated at 86 thousand jobs directly linked to the AGOA in the automotive sector and at 125,000 if suppliers are included.