LEARN: AGOA continues to benefit SA agriculture
Over the past 12 to 18 months there has been a lot of discussion around the future of African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) – particularly in the context of strained trade relations between South Africa and the United States.
Recent shifts in US tariff policy are reshaping the outlook for South Africa’s agricultural exports – and highlighting why continued engagement around AGOA still matters. After the US Supreme Court ruled the earlier “Liberation Day” tariffs unlawful, the US administration moved to a temporary 10% tariff regime for major trading partners. This change places South Africa back on a more level playing field with competitors such as Chile and Peru.
With AGOA still in place, many South African agricultural exports can now avoid additional duties that would otherwise have pushed tariffs even higher.
In this episode of AgriView, agri economist Wandile Sihlobo unpacks what these developments mean for South Africa’s trade relationship with the United States, why maintaining market access remains strategically important, and why the long-term goal should be a more predictable trade agreement beyond AGOA. We also explore the broader principle behind South Africa’s trade strategy: expanding access to markets across the globe — from the US and EU to Asia, the Middle East and Africa — so that farmers and agribusinesses have more choice in where they sell their products.
Are you exporting agriculture products? Give us a sense in the comments section below of the market conditions and how you are finding trade conditions.
