Wire reporting: (Reuters, via Al Jazeera)

The United States notified Congress that it intends to end South Africa's and Rwanda's eligibility under the African Growth and Opportunity Act on Jan. 1, 2027, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said^2,6,8.

AGOA, in place since 2000, lets eligible sub-Saharan countries ship thousands of products into the U.S. market without duties^5,6,8.

Greer said President Donald Trump found both governments engaging in practices inconsistent with AGOA rules, including barriers to U.S. trade and investment and conduct Washington describes as a threat to U.S. national security and foreign policy in the region^6,8,10.

For South Africa, U.S. officials also cited corruption; for Rwanda, they cited human rights, political pluralism, the rule of law and workers' rights^2,8,10.

South Africa has been the program's largest beneficiary, sending about $1.7 billion in goods to the United States under AGOA in 2025, including vehicles and parts, citrus and wine^6,8,10.

Pretoria's trade ministry said AGOA covers about 10 percent of South African exports to the United States and about 1 percent of its global exports, and that the broader relationship would continue^1,6,8.

Trade and Industry Minister Parks Tau called the decision unfortunate and said South Africa has 60 days to appeal, while Cosatu said 3,000 to 10,000 agriculture and manufacturing jobs could be at risk, especially in smaller citrus towns¹.

President Cyril Ramaphosa described the exclusion as a setback and said it could open talks on a formal bilateral deal; the citrus industry warned that jobs along the value chain are at stake^1,6.

Rwanda's government had no immediate public response in several accounts; Washington recently sanctioned Rwanda's defense ministry over alleged support for M23 rebels in eastern Congo, which Kigali denies^2,8.

U.S. Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III said the outcome followed Pretoria's rejection of U.S. concerns².

What remains unknown is whether the 60-day window will change the Jan. 1, 2027, date, how much of the $1.7 billion in preference trade can shift to other markets, and whether Rwanda will contest the finding^1,8.