The duty-free access to the US provided by AGOA has benefited a number of sectors, particularly South Africa’s automobile industry. Motor vehicles make up around a fifth of South Africa’s exports to the US and are worth an estimated $1.9 billion, putting them only behind precious metals.

Trump and his allies have targeted South Africa, promoting the false narrative that white people are being mistreated by the nation’s post-apartheid government.

U.S. President Donald Trump has followed through on his promise to punish South Africa by signing an executive order stopping all aid and assistance to the country over what he called a human rights v

South Africa's foreign minister Ronald Lamola told Reuters on Monday that the United States had not responded to attempts to "formally engage" after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order cutting off aid to South Africa.