South Africa on Tuesday welcomed the United States House of Representatives’ approval of legislation to extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) for a further three years, a move seen as vital to sustaining trade flows and protecting hundreds of thousands of African jobs.
AGOA, first enacted in 2000, offers duty-free access to the US market for eligible sub-Saharan African countries and products and expired in September. South Africa’s Trade Minister, Parks Tau, said the renewal would restore certainty and predictability for African and American businesses that depend on the scheme.
The development comes against a backdrop of strained relations between Pretoria and Washington, which have deteriorated during President Donald Trump’s second term. Despite these tensions, South Africa remains engaged in discussions with the US on a possible bilateral trade agreement. The bill will now proceed to the US Senate before being submitted to President Trump for consideration. The approval was reported 10 hours ago.