President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States plans to remove South Africa from the African Growth and Opportunity Act, a preferential trade program created in 2000 to support African economies.
The decision represents the latest action by the administration against South Africa, Africa’s largest economy. The country’s removal is scheduled to take effect on January 1. Rwanda is also set to be removed from the program, according to a statement from U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
Greer said the administration was deeply concerned about barriers to U.S. trade and investment, corruption, and threats to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests arising from South African policies. The statement did not provide additional details.
Trump and members of his administration have repeatedly criticized South Africa’s affirmative action laws, which were introduced to address inequalities created under apartheid. Trump has argued that the measures discriminate against the country’s white minority.
He has also objected to a law requiring companies to have partial Black ownership, saying that it discourages American investment in South Africa.
Sources: The New York Times World.