THE announced intent to exclude South Africa from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is a serious blow to the citrus industry, according to the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA).”This will be a loss not just for us, but the US consumer will lose too. Citrus trade between SA and the US has always been mutually beneficial. Our citrus is complementary to their production. Our fruit helps keep American consumers in the citrus category during the US off-season. Seasonal fresh produce does not threaten US jobs. It helps keep America healthy, and also helps contain food inflation,” said Dr Boitshoko Ntshabele, the CEO of the CGA.
AGOA is particularly significant for growers in the Western and Northern Cape, where entire communities depend on SA-US trade, with Citrusdal a clear example of how an entire town’s economy is directly tied to competitive access to the US market.
“A citrus grower cannot simply divert his crop to another market – markets have different phytosanitary requirements and consumer tastes. Entire orchards have been planted specifically for the US market. Our exclusion from AGOA will result in job losses in the Western and Northern Cape. It is too early to say how many, but some people will unfortunately lose their jobs when this happens,” said CGA chairman Gerrit van der Merwe.
Losing AGOA exposes South African citrus exports to the applicable US duty rate, generally between 1.5 and 2.5 US cents per kilogram, depending on product and timing. The challenge is compounded by the additional 12.5% Section 301 tariff, which applies to all citrus varieties except oranges. Oranges have been exempt from tariffs since November 2025, but without AGOA, the US duty rate applies to SA Oranges.
The loss of AGOA means, however, that the exporters of Mandarins, Lemons and Grapefruit will face both the Section 301 tariff and the normal rate of duty. This would place them at a severe disadvantage to competitors like Peru and Chile, who benefit from trade agreements as well as shorter transit times.
The US citrus market has been built over decades through strong commercial relationships. Thousands of people in the United States are employed in importing, handling, distribution and retail because of South African citrus. That entire value chain, on both sides of the Atlantic, is now under threat.
This is another setback for an industry that has already been hit hard in 2026 by the conflict in the Middle East, high input costs and adverse weather.
“One hopes that a future bilateral agreement between SA and the US will acknowledge the unique place seasonal fresh produce holds in world trade,” concluded Ntshabele.
