JOHANNESBURG — South Africa is facing mounting pressure from the United States over its foreign policy stance and trade relations, with senior US lawmakers openly questioning Pretoria’s continued eligibility for preferential access under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
Israel has reportedly indicated it will lobby Washington to impose sanctions on South Africa unless Pretoria withdraws its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, adding to an already strained diplomatic environment between South Africa and the United States.
The issue came into sharp focus during a recent US Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing, where United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Jamieson Greer was questioned by Republican Senator John Kennedy about South Africa’s inclusion in any renewed AGOA framework.
“What do you want to do about South Africa as part of AGOA, given that South Africa is not America’s friend?” Kennedy asked.
Greer acknowledged the strained relationship, saying Washington has held several discussions with Pretoria on trade matters but that broader foreign policy issues complicate engagement.
“When it comes to trade, they have a lot of barriers,” Greer said. “We have made it clear to the South Africans that if they want a better tariff situation with us, they need to address these tariff and non-tariff barriers. They are a real economy — a big economy — with an industrial and agricultural base, and they should be buying goods from the United States.”
Kennedy warned that extending AGOA for another year without reform would allow South Africa to continue benefiting from the programme. Greer conceded the point but noted that South Africa is already subject to significantly harsher trade measures than the rest of the continent.
“South Africa currently faces a 30 percent reciprocal tariff, which is much higher than the rest of Africa,” Greer said, adding that Pretoria is being treated as a “unique case”.
When Kennedy suggested that South Africa should be separated entirely from AGOA, Greer said he was open to the proposal.
“If Congress believes South Africa should receive different treatment, I am open to that,” Greer said. “They are a unique problem.”
Kennedy went further, describing South Africa as “an enemy right now”, accusing it of aligning itself with US adversaries and being consistently critical of Washington. Greer agreed, reiterating that most sub-Saharan African countries face a standard 10 percent tariff, compared to South Africa’s 30 percent.
Earlier this year, the United States imposed the 30 percent tariff on South African imports after what US officials described as a failure by Pretoria to adequately address longstanding trade concerns. In July, President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed receipt of formal correspondence from US President Donald Trump notifying South Africa of the unilateral tariff decision.
Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said Pretoria disputes Washington’s interpretation of trade data underpinning the tariff.
“South Africa maintains that the 30 percent reciprocal tariff is not an accurate reflection of available trade data,” Magwenya said. “Our interpretation shows that the average tariff on imported goods entering South Africa is 7.6 percent, with 56 percent of goods entering at a zero percent most-favoured-nation tariff. Additionally, 77 percent of US goods enter the South African market duty-free.”
Despite the escalating tensions, the Presidency said South Africa remains committed to strengthening trade relations with the United States and continues to engage through diplomatic and negotiating channels.
The future of South Africa’s participation in AGOA now appears increasingly uncertain, as geopolitical considerations, trade disputes and Pretoria’s stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict converge to test one of its most significant economic partnerships.
