ActionSA writes to US ambassador Brigety to ask Biden administration to delay possible AGOA removal until after 2024 elections
13 June 2023
ActionSA has written to the United States (US) Ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, to ask that he requests President Joe Biden’s administration to delay taking any action around removing South Africa’s beneficial status under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) until after the 2024 national elections when the ANC will be removed.
This after a group of US lawmakers lobbied the White House to move the upcoming AGOA summit away from South Africa as a step towards the country losing its AGOA status.
South Africa losing AGOA benefits - which gives duty-free access to 25% of South African exports to the US - would have a devastating impact on our economy and may lead to thousands of job losses.
The loss of AGOA benefit would, in particular, be a hard blow to South African farming and vehicle manufacturing industries which are already experiencing strain from inflation and load-shedding pressures. The US was South Africa's second-largest total automotive export market in 2022 with vehicles and components to the value of R24 billion being exported which created thousands of jobs.