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MISA comment - South Africa can't afford a U.S. boycott

Feb 11, 2025 MISA, Motor Industry Staff Association, Martle Keyter, AGOA African Growth and Opportunity Agreement, President Cyril Ramaphosa


MISA comment - South Africa can't afford a U.S. boycott

 

MISA, the Motor Industry Staff Association, calls on President Cyril Ramaphosa to take swift action towards restoring South Africa’s diplomatic relationship with the United States to prevent being excluded from the African Growth and Opportunity Agreement (AGOA).

 

Martlé Keyter, MISA’s Chief Executive Officer: Operations, says South Africa’s dire economy cannot afford being excluded from U.S. trade law giving duty-free access to the U.S. market on certain products from eligible sub-Saharan African countries, South Africa being the biggest beneficiary to this trade agreement.

 

South Africa exports goods, including motor vehicles, and minerals between R150 billion and R200 billion annually to the US. MISA is extremely concerned on the impact of President Donald Trump's executive order on the AGOA Agreement. In accordance with AGOA, more than 1 800 South African products – particularly textiles, agricultural goods and motor vehicles, are granted duty-free access to the US market. “It will be to the detriment of workers and future job creation in our country if South Africa is excluded from AGOA and Government must act swiftly to restore the misunderstanding that may have caused the rife between our countries,” says Keyter. 

 

MISA is the majority trade union representing more than 69 000 members in the retail motor industry. On 3 November 2023, MISA was present when President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed delegates of the AGOA Forum in Soweto and emphasized the importance of this agreement towards creating local jobs, adding that South Africa needed to make more targeted efforts towards generating more focused investments.

 

AGOA governs preferential trade benefits, which facilitated $14-billion in exports from South Africa.

  

#PROUDLYMISA #MISALEADS #MISACARES #MISAONTHEMOVE #MISAFAMILY

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