WASHINGTON/NEW YORK - US President Donald Trump has notified Congress of his intention to remove Rwanda and South Africa from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) trade programme, effective 1 January 2027. The decision follows an annual interagency review by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) that found both governments engaged in practices inconsistent with the programme's eligibility requirements.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the decision was based on concerns including trade and investment barriers, and threats to US national security and foreign policy interests in the region. For Rwanda, the review identified additional concerns over human rights, political pluralism, the rule of law and workers' rights. For South Africa, the administration cited barriers to American trade and investment and corruption.

The US Treasury had imposed sanctions on Rwanda's defence ministry days earlier for allegedly directing thousands of troops to fight alongside M23 rebels in eastern DR Congo, providing weapons, equipment, logistics and training. Greer said the administration wanted African partners to take the necessary steps to meet AGOA eligibility requirements.

South Africa, AGOA's largest beneficiary, exported approximately $1.7 billion worth of goods to the US under the programme in 2025. Its eligible exports include vehicles, agricultural products, clothing and manufactured goods. Pretoria had lobbied Washington to retain its access, submitting proposals to address American concerns and remaining open to negotiations.

Rwanda has faced AGOA restrictions before. In 2018, Washington suspended its duty-free treatment for apparel exports after Kigali restricted imports of used clothing from the US. The AGOA programme was established in 2000 and was extended through December 31, 2026, after Trump signed a one-year reauthorisation in February.

The announcement comes amid strained relations between Washington and both countries. Last year, Trump accused South Africa of 'white genocide' in a meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House and launched a US refugee pathway for Afrikaners. US Ambassador to South Africa Leo Brent Bozell III said the termination was a 'predictable and preventable outcome resulting from the rejection by South Africa's government of real concerns raised by the US.'