US to Cut 2 African Countries from Duty-Free Trade Programme
- President Trump notified Congress and both governments of his intent to remove Rwanda and South Africa from the AGOA duty-free trade programme
- US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer cited trade barriers and national security concerns as the basis for the decision
- The termination is set to take effect on January 1, 2027, following an annual interagency review of AGOA eligibility
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The United States government has announced plans to remove Rwanda and South Africa from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), the trade preference programme that allows eligible sub-Saharan African countries to export thousands of goods to the US market duty-free.
US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer confirmed the decision on November 2, 2026, saying President Trump had formally notified Congress and both governments of his intent to terminate their eligibility under the programme, effective January 1, 2027.
Source: Getty Images
"The Office of the United States Trade Representative led the annual interagency review of sub-Saharan African countries' eligibility for the AGOA trade preference program.
"Based on the review, President Trump found that the governments of Rwanda and South Africa are engaging in practices that are inconsistent with AGOA's eligibility criteria," Ambassador Greer said.
He added that the "concerning and pervasive practices include, but are not limited to, barriers that undermine American trade and investment and practices that pose a threat to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests in the region."
Why Rwanda and South Africa were flagged
The US government cited different concerns for each country. In Rwanda's case, the Trump administration pointed to trade and investment barriers, rule of law shortcomings, restrictions on political pluralism, violations of internationally recognised worker rights, and human rights issues, alongside threats to American national security and foreign policy interests.
For South Africa, the concerns centred on barriers to US trade and investment, corruption, and threats to US national security and foreign policy interests in the region.
What AGOA removal means
AGOA, which has been in place since 2000, gives eligible African countries preferential, duty-free access to the US market for a wide range of exports.
Losing this status typically raises the cost of exports to the US, making goods from the affected countries less competitive and potentially affecting jobs and revenue in sectors that rely heavily on American buyers.
Ambassador Greer said the Trump administration remained open to engagement, noting that the government was "working to ensure our African partners take the necessary steps to meet the eligibility criteria."
Legit.ng reported that the US had imposed a 12.5% tariff on Nigerian exports due to forced labour concerns.
In a related story, Legit.ng explained what two more years of duty-free US trade means for Nigerian exporters.
African countries qualified for US E-1 treaty trader visa
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the US had named three African countries eligible for its E-1 treaty trader visa.
The E-1 visa allows nationals of countries that maintain treaties of commerce and navigation with the United States to enter the country on a temporary basis for trade-related purposes.
The full list covers 55 countries spread across Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Oceania, yet the African continent accounts for just three of those spots.
Source: Legit.ng
