South Africa must prepare for the possible loss of its duty-free access to the U.S. market, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday, in his clearest warning yet that Pretoria's place in the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is at risk.
"I need, as president, to prepare us if it ever happens," Ramaphosa said, warning that the impact on South African jobs would be "devastating" if the country is excluded from the programme, which has underpinned exports from cars to citrus for two decades.
Relations between Pretoria and Washington have soured under the Trump administration, which has pressed claims of persecution of white South Africans — allegations South Africa calls a falsehood spread by fringe groups. Some U.S. officials have suggested South Africa should be excluded from AGOA.
Ramaphosa said talks with U.S. counterparts continue, and that he and Deputy President Paul Mashatile are travelling the world seeking alternative markets. He pointed to a recent trade deal with China, which introduced a zero-tariff scheme for qualifying South African goods in May, as evidence of progress.
