Trump Moves to Remove Rwanda and South Africa from US Trade Deal

US President Donald Trump has notified Congress of his intention to remove South Africa and Rwanda from a preferential trade programme, with the decision expected to take effect on 1 January 2027.

The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) allows eligible African countries to export thousands of products to the United States duty-free.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said an annual review had found that both countries were engaging in practices inconsistent with the programme’s eligibility requirements.

According to Greer, the Trump administration raised concerns about barriers to US trade and investment, as well as issues relating to American national security and foreign policy interests in the region.

For Rwanda, Washington also cited concerns about human rights, political pluralism, the rule of law and workers’ rights. South Africa was additionally criticised over corruption.

The announcement comes shortly after the US Treasury imposed sanctions on Rwanda’s defence ministry over its alleged involvement in the armed conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The US Treasury accused Rwanda’s defence ministry of directing thousands of troops to fight alongside M23 rebels, providing weapons, equipment, logistics and training.

“The Trump administration is working to ensure our African partners take the necessary steps to meet the eligibility criteria,” Greer said.

South Africa’s Trade Minister, Parks Tau, described the decision as “unfortunate”, arguing that Washington was raising new concerns that had not featured in trade negotiations between the two countries, which began in 2025.

“We will continue to accelerate the diversification of South Africa’s export markets to protect jobs,” Tau said.

US Ambassador to South Africa Leo Brent Bozell III also criticised Pretoria, saying the country’s policies had contributed to its removal from AGOA.

“This was a predictable and preventable outcome resulting from the rejection by South Africa’s government of real concerns raised by the US,” he wrote on X.

The proposed removal comes amid strained relations between Washington and both African countries.

Last year, Trump accused South Africa of white genocide during a White House meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa. His administration also introduced a refugee pathway in the United States for white Afrikaners, a move that further strained relations between the two governments.

If the decision takes effect, South African and Rwandan exporters will lose the preferential duty-free access they currently enjoy under AGOA from January 2027.