The party says relations between the two countries started with the decision to take Israel to the International Court of Justice.
EFF flag. Picture: The Citizen/Neil McCartney
The EFF says South Africa must not let the United States use the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) as leverage in its foreign and trade policy, insisting that the country pursue global trade partnerships on its own terms.
This follows the Trump administration’s announcement that SA will be excluded from the Agoa trade agreement effective 1 January 2027 for several official and diplomatic reasons, including “barriers that undermine American trade and investment and practices that pose a threat to US national security and foreign policy interests”.
The EFF said this decision is the culmination of a sustained campaign of hostility, intimidation and economic pressure against South Africa for exercising its sovereign right to determine its own domestic and international affairs.
SA systematically targeted by the US
The political party noted that SA was systematically targeted by the US for months using “diplomatic hostility, economic threats, and an aggressive propaganda campaign intended to undermine our country’s standing internationally”.
EFF is of the view that the deterioration of relations cannot be understood outside the context of South Africa’s independent foreign policy, particularly the decision to take Israel to the International Court of Justice for its genocide against the Palestinian people.
“South Africa exercised its legal and moral responsibility under international law by instituting proceedings against Israel. US political and military support for Israel has made South Africa’s principled position on Palestine a point of confrontation,” said the political party.
Discomfort
The EFF has also noted that Washington has expressed discomfort with South Africa’s relations with other countries that the US considers adversaries.
“The United States has been uncomfortable with SA’s relations with countries it considers adversaries, including Russia, China and Iran, as well as its participation in Brics.
“We cannot be expected to abandon longstanding diplomatic relations or choose our international partners according to the geopolitical preferences of the US.”
SA is fine without Agoa
The EFF also expressed that the country will do fine without Agoa.
“We have always made it clear that the US could keep Agoa while SA retained its sovereignty.
“We therefore reiterate that the termination of Agoa exposes the dangers of an economic relationship in which access to markets is treated as a privilege that can be withdrawn whenever a country refuses to submit to the political demands of a powerful trading partner.”
Concerns
Some organisations have also noted that Agoa-eligible goods represent only a fraction of total bilateral trade, suggesting there is little to panic about at the moment.
The Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry said Western Cape exporters were assessing the operational costs of the announcement, with agriculture and maritime manufacturing among the regional sectors most directly impacted.
The chamber noted the following concerns:
- Citrus Growers Association: Highlighted potential supply chain and margin impacts for regional citrus producers in the Western and Northern Cape.
- Exporters Western Cape: Urged government to work closely with affected sectors to establish pragmatic mitigation measures.
- South African Boat Builders Export Council (SABBEX): Noted potential headwinds for luxury catamaran manufacturing, for which the US remains a primary market.
