USA Extends AGOA, but Concerns of SA Participation Linger
- The United States government has approved a three-year extension of the African Growth and Opportunities Act, but the question of whether South Africa will participate remains uncertain
- The Committee on Ways and Means approved the extension after an overwhelming number of members supported it
- Recently, Senator John Kennedy called for South Africa to be excluded from AGOA, and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer weighed in
Tebogo Mokwena, affiliated with Briefly News, covered local and international politics, political analysis, and interviews in South Africa for Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News during his 10 years of experience.
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UNITED STATES — The United States government has approved a three-year extension of the African Growth Opportunities Act (AGOA) on 11 December 2025. The Committee did not discuss South Africa's participation in AGOA.
According to IOL, the Committee on Ways and Means voted overwhelmingly in favour of the agreement's extension when they voted for it in a sitting. However, the Committee was mum on South Africa's continuation with AGOA. The Committee noted that the AGOA was the cornerstone of economic relations between the nation and Sub-Saharan countries.
US politicians oppose SA in AGOA
The Committee's meeting came one day after Trade Representative Jamieson Greer appeared before the Senate on 10 December 2025 to answer questions about the agreement. Greer faced questions from Republican Senator John Kennedy, who pressed that South Africa should be excluded from the AGOA.
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He declared that South Africa is the United States' enemy and reasoned that it is because South Africa is allied with the United States' enemies. Kennedy asked if there was no way in which South Africa's participation could be set aside, and Greer said it was under consideration.
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Recent tensions between SA and USA
Tensions between the two nations have not simmered in recent months, not especially after the US decided to boycott the G20 Summit. South Africa successfully hosted the Summit in Johannesburg on 22 and 23 November. The G20 Presidency was handed over to the US in a low-key event. Washington slammed the event and announced that South Africa would not participate in the G20 Summit in Miami in 2026.
The African National Congress urged G20 member nations to challenge Trump's decision to bar South Africa from the G20 Summit in 2026. National Executive Committee member Thandi Moraka said it was up to the member states to confront the United States about its decision.
Germany to meet with US about SA's G20 ban
In a related article, Briefly News reported that the German Ambassador to South Africa, Andreas Peschka, said that the German government is in talks with the United States. This was after the United States said that South African delegates would not be accredited for the G20 Summit.
Speaking on 11 December 2025, Peschka said that the German government is concerned that the US is preventing South Africa from attending the G20 Summit. He noted that South Africa represents Africa in the G20 and held a successful G20 Summit in Johannesburg.
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Source: Briefly News
