South Africa's eligibility for the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) is likely to remain untouched when US president-elect Donald Trump steps into office next year. But Trump's candid arguments for protectionism for US industry could have far-reaching impacts as many countries rely on trade agreements for access to the US market. Alan Mukoki, the CEO of the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said on Friday that the US had a lot to lose if agreements such as Agoa were scrapped, as American industries needed to grow in places like Africa and deals like Agoa allowed them to do that. An example of this was the appearance of US chicken in South African supermarkets after hard-fought negotiations under Agoa. Mukoki said South Africa needed to be proactive in courting US business by lobbying interest groups. There are 38 African countries benefiting from Agoa. Two-way trade between South Africa and the US in goods topped $13-billion (about R187-billion) in 2015, compar...
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