US may announce serious measures against SA – Solidarity appeals to White House again regarding AGOA

The United States of America may soon announce further, serious measures against South Africa due to the deteriorating diplomatic relationship between the two countries.

This follows the announcement of visa restrictions earlier this month, which the US ambassador described as merely the first step in a series of escalating measures.

According to Solidarity, it is clear that the crisis in the relationship between the two countries has now reached a breaking point, which could result in serious measures against South Africa in the coming weeks.

The crisis has deepened over the past 20 months, after the Trump administration directed five asks to the South African government. These include, among other things, the condemnation of the incitement of racial violence – such as the singing of “Kill the Farmer, Kill the Boer” – the prioritisation of rural crime (including farm attacks), and the scaling back of race-based legislation.

By September 2026, only two of the issues had been addressed.

President Ramaphosa’s letter of 12 September contained no substantive proposals, while Minister Ronald Lamola’s recent actions in Washington and New York – including meetings with anti-Trump members of Congress, statements against the Trump administration during a speech in New York, and personal attacks on the US ambassador – exacerbated the situation.

Dirco’s attempts to reprimand the US ambassador heightened tensions rather than easing them.

Dr Dirk Hermann, CEO of Solidarity, says they are concerned about the final decision the White House must make regarding AGOA.

“According to all indications from Washington, AGOA is the most immediate instrument at the US’s disposal should the country wish to take action against South Africa,” says Hermann.

The AGOA legislation has been extended by Congress until the end of 2028, but the White House determines annually which countries qualify. South Africa has historically been the largest beneficiary, and hundreds of businesses derive significant benefits from it. Solidarity estimates that up to 250 000 jobs are either partially or entirely dependent on access to AGOA.

However, according to Solidarity, there is also a range of other concerning measures the US could take against South Africa:

• • Additional tariffs, including reciprocal or sector-specific tariffs on products not covered by AGOA (South African exports are already subject to a 12,5% tariff on most products);
• • Expanded personal measures, such as the revocation of existing visas and the refusal of new applications;
• • Financial sanctions against individuals, including asset freezes and transaction restrictions;
• • Termination of security and intelligence cooperation, stricter export controls on dual-use technology, and informal pressure on US companies to withhold new investments;
• • Isolation on the international stage, such as the already cancelled invitations to the G20 and G7.

Less likely, yet possible, steps include exclusion from the SWIFT system and broader economic sanctions, which would severely affect the rand and the economy. Solidarity today once again addressed a letter to the White House requesting that South Africa’s participation in AGOA be retained, as the White House finalises the review process for the coming year.

See the letter here.

The letter follows months of discussions and Solidarity’s efforts to build a strong case for South Africa’s continued participation.

Hermann emphasises that exclusion from AGOA or the imposition of other punitive economic measures would affect ordinary workers and exporters, and that ordinary South Africans played no part in the government’s diplomatic decisions that contributed to the deteriorating relationship.

In its letter to the White House, Solidarity also indicated that practical, constitutionally compatible proposals regarding the five American asks had already been submitted to both the South African Presidency and American counterparts, and that processes were currently underway within the Government of National Unity to address the matter.

Solidarity calls on the South African government to address the five points of contention urgently and constructively to prevent further escalation. The trade union remains committed to finding solutions to the diplomatic dispute between the two countries