AGOA, Africa and Agriculture

The report argues that AGOA has provided limited new opportunities for South African exports because US tariffs were already low, though some agricultural products like fruit juices and pears have seen significant growth. It identifies non-tariff barriers, such as US agricultural subsidies and strict standards, as the primary remaining obstacles to trade. The authors suggest that a reciprocal SACU-US agreement could lock in these preferences and protect South African interests against the unilateral nature of AGOA.

• AGOA has created few new export opportunities for South Africa overall because US tariffs on most South African exports were already very low prior to the act's implementation.
• Certain agricultural products have experienced substantial growth under AGOA, specifically pears, avocados, pimientos, and various fruit juices, although it is unclear if this represents new trade or diversion from other markets.
• The clothing sector is a primary area for potential trade creation, but the benefits are severely limited by complex rules of origin that favor least developed African countries over South Africa.
• Non-tariff barriers are now the dominant obstacles to South African agricultural exports, including high US producer subsidies and restrictive sanitary standards, such as the ban on fruit infected with citrus black spot (CBS).
• A reciprocal free trade agreement between SACU and the US is viewed as a way to secure agricultural interests by locking in preferences that the US President could otherwise unilaterally suspend.
• In potential SACU-US negotiations, the US is likely to prioritize the liberalization of the South African automotive sector, where it faces significant tariffs and potential trade diversion toward the EU due to the SA-EU Trade and Development Agreement.

APA

Stern, M., & Netshitomboni, N. (2004). AGOA, Africa and Agriculture. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/3-reportno3a.pdf

Chicago

Stern, Matthew, and Nnzeni Netshitomboni. AGOA, Africa and Agriculture. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2004. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/3-reportno3a.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Stern |first1=Matthew |last2=Netshitomboni |first2=Nnzeni |title=AGOA, Africa and Agriculture |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=February 2004 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/3-reportno3a.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stern2004agoa, author = {Stern, Matthew and Netshitomboni, Nnzeni}, title = {{AGOA, Africa and Agriculture}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2004}, month = feb, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/3-reportno3a.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }