Ties havedeterioratedthis year with a row over trade and as President Donald Trump has frequently criticised South Africa for its domestic laws addressing racial inequality. The House committee meeting is the most significant progress Congress has made towards renewing the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), but its ultimate prospects remain unclear. The law was first enacted in 2000 to provide duty-free access to the US market for eligible Sub-Saharan countries and products, and hundreds of thousands of African jobs areestimated to depend on it.
There is no special provision for South Africa in the current draft of the AGOA Extension Act, but the US House Committee on Ways and Means will consider amendments to the text before voting on whether or not to send it to the full House of Representatives. Another bill introduced in the Senate in October proposes a two-year renewal of AGOA and a review of the bilateral relationship with South Africa, but it has not yet been taken up in committee. South Africa’s trade ministry spokesperson told Reuters the country was committed to ensuring it is included in AGOA if it is extended.DM Reporting by Nellie Peyton and Aaron Ross; Additional reporting by Sfundo Parakozov; Editing by Alexander Winning, Alexandra Hudson
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