In 2022 South Africa’s goods exports to the United States amounted to about US$14.4 billion. Of this, 21% ($3 billion) entered the US under AGOA. Over the recent five years since 2018, on average 16% of SA exports entered the US under AGOA.
Some sectors utilise AGOA for a significant portion of their US exports. I attach a revised copy of a presentation made to a joint meeting of the Portfolio and Select Committees of Parliament on 26 September 2023.
Both the SA and US data sets do not distinguish exports/imports by company size and employment and also do not record the suppliers of inputs into the production of the exported/imported products.
The Impact of AGOA on economic growth will require detailed research, and will not be definitive, as a number of factors influence trade performance, for example changes in the exchange rate of the currency.
-END-