South Africa’s citrus exports face uncertainty over AGOA renewal
Concerns grow as South Africa’s access to the U.S. market remains in question ahead of AGOA’s 2025 expiration.
SOUTH AFRICA – Tensions between South Africa and the United States are raising concerns for the country’s citrus industry, with uncertainty surrounding the future of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
The trade agreement, which allows tariff-free access to U.S. markets for Sub-Saharan African countries, is set to expire in September 2025.
With past U.S. policy decisions targeting trade relationships, South African citrus exporters fear they could lose critical market access.
AGOA has played a significant role in supporting South Africa’s citrus exports, particularly to the U.S. While citrus accounts for only 9% of total agricultural exports to the U.S., the agreement is responsible for thousands of jobs across both countries.
Some industry experts have suggested that South Africa should consider leaving AGOA voluntarily to prevent an abrupt disruption if the U.S. chooses not to renew the agreement.
Industry concerns over market access
In Citrusdal, a key citrus-producing region in the Western Cape, farmers and exporters are already preparing for potential changes.
This area, known for growing lemons, oranges, and tangerines, supplies fruit to the UK, Europe, and the U.S. Harvesting begins in July and August, but the uncertainty surrounding AGOA is creating unease months in advance.
Gerrit van der Merwe, chairperson of the Citrus Growers’ Association and managing director of ALG Estates, emphasized the far-reaching effects of losing AGOA access. “We take a step back, that’s a hit. Not just on the farmers but on the community. If we are missing out on prosperity, the slack will probably get picked up either by a citrus farmer in Peru or some farmer in Spain,” he said.
South Africa is the second-largest citrus exporter in the world, after Spain. Van der Merwe highlighted that the stakes extend beyond agriculture, with potential consequences for employment.
“AGOA is probably responsible for 35,000 jobs in the citrus industry in South Africa, but also indirectly responsible for 25,000 jobs in the U.S. for truck driving, repacking, running cold rooms, and that type of thing. We have a 35 to 45% unemployment rate in South Africa. We need wins.”
Political factors at play
The debate over AGOA renewal is unfolding amid broader political tensions. Former U.S. President Donald Trump recently made headlines by offering asylum to Afrikaners, referring to them as “racially disfavoured landowners.”
This statement was in response to South Africa’s new land expropriation bill, which allows the government to take land in the public interest. The bill, signed by President Cyril Ramaphosa but not yet enacted, has sparked global debate and criticism.
The uncertainty surrounding AGOA was a key topic at the 2025 CGA Citrus Summit, where industry leaders discussed shifting geopolitical factors.
According to insights from the CEO’s event review, the protectionist stance of the Trump administration (Trump 2.0) was highlighted as a potential challenge to South Africa’s continued access to the U.S. market.
Dr. Boitshoko Ntshabele, CEO of the Citrus Growers’ Association, stressed the importance of diversifying exports to reduce reliance on the U.S. and European markets.
He noted that the industry is working to expand tariff agreements with India and strengthen trade ties with BRICS+ countries as alternative markets for citrus exports.
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