South African Officials Push for Renewal of US Trade Pact

Pretoria’s new trade minister is confident the country’s AGOA membership will be renewed, but ties with China, Iran, and Russia could impede the process.

President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, speaks in Johannesburg, South Africa, on June 2, 2024. Chris McGrath/Getty Images

JOHANNESBURG—The South African government is lobbying the administration of President Joe Biden to renew Washington’s flagship preferential trade program with African countries before the November U.S. election.

The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), enacted in 2000, gives 32 African countries tariff-free access to U.S. markets for a diverse range of products, earning them billions of dollars.