The News
South African officials privately tried to push their economic agenda during President Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit to Washington despite his heated televised discussions with US President Donald Trump.
The future of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) remains uncertain, but a South African official told Semafor that Washington appears to share a “commitment to continue” the trade pact.
AGOA, which allows African countries to sell billions of dollars in duty-free goods to the US, is due to expire in September and has been shrouded in uncertainty since Trump began his second term. However, ultimate responsibility for its renewal lies with the US Congress.
Chrispin Phiri, the spokesperson for the department of international relations and cooperation who told Semafor about the mention of AGOA, said Pretoria also submitted a trade proposal to Washington, which showed an interest in purchasing more American liquefied natural gas and said South Africa hopes to partner with the US on enriching rare earth minerals.
Phiri also told Semafor they received “indications” that Trump will travel to South Africa for the G20 meeting in November, despite senior US officials boycotting an earlier bloc meeting in Johannesburg.
