This was confirmed in a notice issued over the weekend addressing changes to the eligibility of AGOA partner countries.

The move announced by the Joe Biden Administration comes ahead of the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump in January, which also follows an annual eligibility review.

The decision to maintain duty-free access to US markets for another year is set to provide an opportunity to strengthen South African trade relations with the US.

For SA, retaining its AGOA benefit is significant as the programme accounts for about 20 percent of the country’s exports to the US. South Africa’s inclusion under the program has faced increased scrutiny because of its stance on Israel and close ties to Russia.”

--SABC--