US Lawmakers Halt Efforts to Reassess Relations with South Africa

US lawmakers have opted not to pursue a review of South Africa’s ties with Washington, citing worries about national security threats.

On Monday, President Joe Biden signed a version of a crucial annual defense-policy bill that left out a previous amendment proposed by the US House of Representatives in June, which sought to initiate this review.

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In February, two congressmen introduced a bipartisan bill in the House, condemning various foreign-policy moves made by South Africa, including its stance at the United Nations’ International Court of Justice, which accuses Israel of genocide.

This proposed legislation added to earlier criticisms from US lawmakers regarding Pretoria’s hesitance to back the Western narrative in the conflict involving Russia and Ukraine, along with its increasing affiliations with the Brics economic group.

South Africa maintains that while there may be disparities with the US on certain geopolitical issues, the ties between the two countries are strong. The US ranks as South Africa’s largest trading partner after China.

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This past weekend, the US confirmed that South Africa will continue to enjoy preferential access to its economy in 2025 for thousands of products.

Maintaining a beneficial trade relationship is critical for the newly established South African coalition government as it strives to uplift an economy that has experienced minimal growth over the last ten years.

After an annual assessment of which countries qualify for duty-free access under the African Growth and Opportunity Act, Washington has chosen to keep its list of eligible and ineligible nations unchanged for the coming year, according to a statement from the US Trade Representative’s Office.

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