# Trade, Industry, and Competition minister Parks Tau says he remains optimistic about the renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act. This is despite AGOA officially expiring yesterday. Renewal is critical for South Africa as AGOA accounts for over 69-billion-rand in exports to the US, which represents 28-percent of all SA-US trade. Tau says there remains broad support for the renewal of AGOA. He, however, adds that questions remain on the period of renewal, the timing of when the Agoa will be renewed, and the legislative vehicle for renewal.
Minister Tau says SA’s priority is to get AGOA extended even for a short period