WATCH: US-SA relations through the lens of Agoa

The African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), which provides 35 Sub-Saharan African countries with duty-free access to US markets, is set to expire next year. Leaders on the continent have pushed for an early, lengthy extension of the legislation to provide certainty to investors, but that hasn’t happened yet.

November’s presidential election has added to the risk of further delay as Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, pushed for restrictive trade policies and a clampdown on immigration in his first term as president, and appears to be taking a similar line in his current campaign. 

Retaining its status as a beneficiary is crucial for SA since Agoa provides preferential access for about 20% of the country’s exports to the US, or 2% of its shipments globally. Business Day TV speaks to Michelle Constant, CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce in SA, for more insight.