Will South Africa be excluded from the US's two-year AGOA extension?
A new bill has been tabled in the US Congress that would extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) for two years, but exclude South Africa
Image: File/ AFP
A new bill in the US Congress would extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) for two years, but could exclude South Africa.
The bill was tabled by Senator John Kennedy, who introduced the AGOA Extension and Bilateral Engagement Act (AGOA 2.0) in October 2025. The bill has been sent to the Senate Committee on Finance, where it is currently under review.
AGOA, which was first enacted in 2000 to expand US-Africa trade by providing duty-free access to American markets, officially expired on September 30, 2025.
The legislation links AGOA benefits to the rule of law and alignment with US strategic interests, particularly regarding relations with China and Russia.
South Africa and the United States have clashed in recent years over several diplomatic and policy issues, including South Africa's stance on the Russia–Ukraine conflict and its decision to bring a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
“China is using Africa to expand its influence at America’s expense. We need to rethink our relationships in the region while strengthening trade with African countries that share our values. This bill makes sure AGOA works for America’s interests—not against them,” Kennedy said.
He added that the bill would hold South Africa accountable for foreign policy positions the US views as supporting its adversaries.
"The legislation also incorporates Kennedy’s U.S.-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act to hold South Africa accountable for siding with America’s rivals".
The AGOA 2.0 Act would:
- Extend AGOA for two years.
- Require a U.S. strategy to negotiate bilateral trade agreements with select AGOA countries.
- Emphasise clear eligibility criteria for participating nations, including democratic governance, rule of law, human rights, combating corruption and open markets.
- Incorporate Kennedy’s U.S.-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act to hold South Africa accountable for aligning with Beijing, Moscow and other adversaries.
- Ensure AGOA is used to strengthen U.S. partnerships in Africa while combating Chinese influence in the region
Tensions between the two countries escalated even further last week, with the US making good on its threat to boycott the G20 summit. The US government also revoked the visa of former international relations minister Naledi Pandor.
Furthermore, the US also attempted to send a junior embassy official to receive the G20 presidency gavel from President Cyril Ramaphosa, a move South Africa rejected as a breach of diplomatic protocol.
IOL
mthobisi.nozulela@iol.co.za