PRETORIA - Government has accused the United States of introducing new issues into trade negotiations after Washington notified Pretoria of its intention to withdraw South Africa's benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
On Monday, Washington announced that it would exclude South Africa and Rwanda from the major Africa-US duty-free trade programme, citing practices it said were “inconsistent” with the deal’s eligibility criteria.
“These concerning and pervasive practices include, but are not limited to, barriers that undermine American trade and investment and practices that pose a threat to US national security and foreign policy interests in the region,” US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement.
The exclusions will take effect on January 1, according to the statement.
However, in a statement on Tuesday, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) said Washington was introducing issues that had not formed part of discussions during negotiations, which began in 2025.
The department said Pretoria had made concessions beyond those offered in 2015 through the appropriate channels, while safeguarding its biosecurity, constitutional imperatives and obligations under World Trade Organisation rules.
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Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau said Washington's decision did not define the broader relationship between South Africa and the United States.
“The solution depends on the willingness of both parties to find a solution,” Tau said.
He acknowledged the concerns the decision could raise for communities linked to AGOA-supported value chains.
“As a responsible government, South Africa has proactively retained measures that were available as a response to the reciprocal tariffs,” he said.
Tau added that government would continue to accelerate efforts to diversify South Africa's export markets.