South Africa made critical minerals a cornerstone of a 15-year extension of the US African Growth and Opportunity Act, warning that short extensions undermine investor confidence and hamper regional manufacturing plans. The AGOA trade agreement provides African countries with duty-free access to the US market.
In a filing to the office of the US Trade Representative, Pretoria said it has already Home to 12 of the top 50 important minerals Recognized by the US as well as the process capability to support US manufacturers. South Africa — which has the world's largest reserves of platinum group metals, manganese and chromium — also wants eligibility rules updated to reflect not only income limits but also inequality.
AGOA was set to expire in September, but in February the US signed a retroactive extension until the end of the year. The trade deal has become part of a Proxy battle over broader US-South Africa tensions – From Pretoria's domestic black empowerment politics and its engagement with BRICS to the genocide case against Israel.