US to exclude SA from Agoa pact in huge blow to economy

The US trade representative said on Monday that Washington would exclude SA and Rwanda from a major Africa-US duty-free trade deal, a blow to both economies, over practices "inconsistent" with the deal's eligibility criteria. "These concerning and pervasive practices include, but are not limited to, barriers that undermine American trade and investment and practices that pose a threat to US national security and foreign policy interests in the region," Jamieson Greer said in a statement.