Pretoria is mulling a bilateral trade agreement with the US amid fears that President Donald Trump's administration may revoke South Africa's preferential trade access under programs such as the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), Bloomberg reported.
The South African government reportedly views a negotiated bilateral pact as preferable to AGOA, aiming for a more stable and mutually beneficial trade framework, and is preparing a special team to discuss such an agreement if preferential trade benefits are withdrawn.
AGOA and GSP allow South African goods to enter the US duty-free, with about 25% of the $14 billion in exports to the US in 2022 benefiting from these agreements, according to the South African Trade Department.