DA's bid to secure AGOA renewal for South Africa submitted
7 July 2023
The DA has made a submission to the United States Trade Representative which seeks to secure South Africa's renewal for the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) in 2024.
This is delivered in line with the imminent critical deliberations led by the Trade Policy Staff Committee. Their evaluation of South Africa's eligibility to maintain AGOA's beneficial status is projected to culminate by year's end. A broad spectrum of policy and societal issues, including trade and investment governance, workers' rights, and human rights, will underpin these considerations.
South Africa's AGOA eligibility facilitates our nation's privileged access to the gargantuan US market, enabling the duty-free export of a myriad of goods, from vehicles to citrus fruit. This legislation buttresses our export industry, safeguards tens of thousands of jobs and pumps tens of billions of Rands into the economy yearly.
The DA's submission is founded on empirical evidence, corroborating South Africa's compliance with AGOA prerequisites. It is a cogent case for the continuation of this trade agreement, which would sustain economic activity and job creation into the future.