AGOA: Washington excludes South Africa and Rwanda from duty-free trade

The United States Trade Representative announced on Monday, November 2, 2026, that Washington was excluding South Africa and Rwanda from AGOA, the agreement that allows African products to enter the United States duty-free. The exclusion takes effect on January 1, reports Africanews.

The reason cited involves practices deemed incompatible with the agreement's eligibility criteria. In his statement, Trade Representative Jamieson Greer mentions obstacles that, according to him, harm American trade and investment. The procedure requires a sixty-day notice period to be sent to the U.S. Congress and the country being removed.

The agreement's primary beneficiary is the first target

South Africa is, by far, the country that benefits most from AGOA. The agreement has been extended until the end of 2028, but it is reviewed annually, which leaves Washington in control of the list of admitted countries. In recent months, the U.S. administration has increased its criticism of Pretoria, including accusations of discrimination against white Afrikaners, which South Africa rejects.

The South African government said it was preparing for this. Minister of Trade Parks Tau assured in Johannesburg last week that the economy would remain stable and that the country would seek other markets, according to Africanews. President Cyril Ramaphosa had previously called on the country to prepare for an unfavorable decision.

Kigali refuses to serve as a "scapegoat"

For Rwanda, the decision comes in addition to sanctions imposed last week by the United States against its Ministry of Defense, which is accused of supporting M23 rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a claim Kigali denies. Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe told AFP that his country should not permanently serve as a "scapegoat" for what is happening in Congo.

Beyond the two sanctioned capitals, the decision highlights a reality the continent knows well: preferential access granted unilaterally can be withdrawn unilaterally, and without the affected countries having a seat at the table where decisions are made. The question posed to African economies therefore remains the same: that of markets they control themselves, starting with trade between African countries.