Trump Moves to Remove South Africa and Rwanda From AGOA Trade Program in 2027

President Donald Trump has notified Congress that he intends to remove South Africa and Rwanda from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), a preferential trade program, effective 1 January 2027. Agoa lets eligible African countries export thousands of products to the United States duty-free. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement that an annual review found both countries engaged in practices inconsistent with the program's eligibility requirements, and that the two governments had also been notified. The administration cited barriers to US trade and investment and concerns over national security and foreign policy interests. For Rwanda, it also raised human rights, political pluralism, the rule of law and workers' rights. For South Africa, it additionally pointed to corruption. The decision came about a week after the US Treasury sanctioned Rwanda's defence ministry for allegedly directing thousands of troops to fight alongside M23 rebels in eastern DR Congo. South Africa's trade minister, Parks Tau, called the decision "unfortunate".

Left-leaning coverage, represented here by The New York Times, presents the decision mainly through South Africa. Its headline names only South Africa and the program, and its excerpt calls the move the latest measure against the country, which the administration has accused of discriminating against white people. It does not mention Rwanda in the material provided. Right-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while left-leaning and alternative outlets had, so there is no right-side framing to compare. Alternative and independent outlets differ by covering both countries. BBC News leads with the notification to Congress, Greer's statement and the stated eligibility grounds, while Semafor describes suspension after months of fraying ties. Semafor says Trump falsely accused South Africa of genocide against its white population, notes possible job losses, and quotes experts warning the move could push African countries toward China.