The United States ambassador to South Africa posted on X that the nation’s loss of preferential trade access under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) was caused by decisions taken by the South African government.

In the same post, the ambassador described the outcome as both predictable and avoidable, urging Pretoria to understand the gravity of the situation.

AGOA, first enacted in 2000, grants eligible sub‑Saharan African countries duty‑free entry for thousands of products into the US market, aiming to spur economic growth and deepen commercial ties.

South Africa had been one of the programme’s largest beneficiaries, particularly in automotive manufacturing and agriculture.

The removal comes amid strained US‑South Africa relations that intensified under former President Donald Trump, who criticised South Africa’s land‑reform legislation and its decision to bring a genocide case against Israel before the International Court of Justice.

Trump’s administration also raised concerns about alleged mistreatment of white Afrikaner farmers—a claim rejected by Pretoria—and introduced broader tariff measures on South Africa in 2025.

Despite the rebuke, the ambassador said he had not abandoned hope for a bilateral path forward, but cautioned that rebuilding goodwill now rests with the South African government.