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Solidarity welcomes the decision of the U.S. House of Representatives taken on Monday to extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). This decision, however, still needs to be approved by the Senate. 

Nevertheless, this extension is a significant breakthrough for many African countries, which have derived substantial benefits from exports to the US in recent years.

However, South Africa’s likely exclusion from AGOA is a major source of concern for Solidarity. The list of countries benefiting from AGOA is determined by the White House, and given the current diplomatic dispute between South Africa and the US, the prospects of the Trump administration including South Africa are slim.
It is therefore essential that an agreement is reached between the United States and South Africa.

Solidarity today called on the South African government to deal with the dispute with the US more responsibly and to stop attacking and provoking the Trump administration. The government must now act with greater wisdom.

Solidarity also submitted a formal request to the White House today to allow South Africa to participate in AGOA under certain conditions. Since 2000, hundreds of thousands of ordinary South Africans have benefited from exports to the US made possible under AGOA.

“For the US to punish these ordinary citizens serves no purpose,” said Jaco Kleynhans, Head of Public Liaison at Solidarity. He further stated: “In fact, AGOA enables the US to set specific conditions that would compel the South African government to act, for once, in the best interests of the country. Foolish diplomatic conduct by the South African government has put AGOA at risk, and greater prudence must now be exercised.

Among the African countries that have made extensive use of the AGOA agreement in recent decades, South Africa has been the country that has benefited the most from it.

AGOA has been particularly beneficial for exports originating from the automotive industry, iron and steel, chemicals and minerals, machinery, as well as fruit and vegetable exports. Approximately half of South Africa’s exports to the US – worth R156,8 billion in 2024 – originated from industries that have benefited from AGOA.

It has previously been estimated that more than half a million jobs in South Africa are directly dependent on exports to the US, with roughly half of these jobs being reliant on the AGOA agreement.

Issued by Solidarity