USA: House of Representatives approves extension of AGOA
The US House of Representatives approved the extension of AGOA for a period of three years. This trade program allows several countries in sub-Saharan Africa to export to the United States without customs duties.
AGOA expired last October, leaving uncertainty over trade for several months. Economists and experts then warned of the risks of disruptions to African exports, weakening of businesses and deterioration of trade relations with Washington.
The text was adopted by a large majority in the House of Representatives, with 340 votes for and 54 against. It must now be examined by the Senate.
But if the extension of the program is on track, South Africa's participation remains uncertain. The country is at the heart of ongoing trade and diplomatic tensions with the United States.
South Africa's eligibility in question
In recent years, Washington and Pretoria have disagreed on several issues, including access to the American market and joint military exercises carried out by South Africa with China, Russia and Iran.
According to some sources, in the run-up to the vote in Congress, Pretoria asked Iran to withdraw from the joint naval exercise called "Will for Peace", held in False Bay. A gesture interpreted as an attempt to appease the United States.
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Despite this, criticism continues in Washington. The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Republican Senator Jim Risch, has openly questioned South Africa's eligibility for AGOA.
He believes that the South African government's official position of non-alignment is contradicted by its military cooperation with countries considered adversaries of the United States. According to him, these choices reflect hostility towards Washington.
