Trump to remove Rwanda and South Africa from US trade deal

What the report says

US President Donald Trump has notified Congress that South Africa and Rwanda will be removed from the African Growth and Opportunity Act, or Agoa, from 1 January 2027, according to BBC Africa. The trade programme gives eligible African countries duty-free access to the US market for thousands of products. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said an annual review found both countries were acting in ways that did not meet the programme’s requirements.

The administration said its concerns included barriers to trade and investment, along with national security and foreign policy issues. In Rwanda’s case, Washington also raised questions about human rights, political pluralism, the rule of law and workers’ rights. That follows recent US Treasury sanctions on Rwanda’s defence ministry over its alleged role in the conflict in eastern DR Congo, including support for M23 rebels, as reported by BBC Africa.

For South Africa, the US also cited corruption. The decision comes amid tense relations between Washington and both governments. BBC Africa noted that Trump previously accused South Africa of white genocide during a meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa and later created a refugee pathway for Afrikaners. The planned removal could reduce both countries’ access to a key preferential trade arrangement with the US.