Country Info: South Africa

Bilateral Trade by Sector: United States - South Africa Click here for detailed trade profile between the United States & South Africa Value ('1000 dollars), US 'domestic exports' *, US 'imports for consumption' / Includes year-to-date data Bilateral Trade by Sector: United States - South Africa Value ('1000 dollars), US 'domestic exports' *, US 'imports for consumption' / Includes year-to-date data Sector Category 2017 2018 2019 2018 YTD DECEMBER 2019 YTD DECEMBER Agricultural products: Exports by US 352,971 312,749 352,017 312,749 352,017 Imports by US 362,199 401,622 428,593 401,622 428,593 Combined AGOA imports (including GSP provisions) 278,758 304,422 325,282 304,422 325,282 -- US GSP imports 41,022 21,569 24,355 21,569 24,355 -- US AGOA imports 237,736 282,853 300,927 282,853 300,927 Forest products: Exports by US 103,015 132,688 112,767 132,688 112,767 Imports by US 37,211 37,232 38,514 37,232 38,514 Combined AGOA imports (including GSP provisions) 6,464 7,899 9,307 7,899 9,307 -- US GSP imports 6,326 6,811 8,477 6,811 8,477 -- US AGOA imports 138 1,088 830 1,088 830 Chemicals and related products: Exports by US 880,102 818,792 846,440 818,792 846,440 Imports by US 672,497 824,271 777,405 824,271 777,405 Combined AGOA imports (including GSP provisions) 317,665 486,708 431,674 486,708 431,674 -- US GSP imports 235,382 307,907 228,333 307,907 228,333 -- US AGOA imports 82,283 178,801 203,341 178,801 203,341 Energy-related products: Exports by US 326,536 511,945 403,462 511,945 403,462 Imports by US 96,447 79,215 83,268 79,215 83,268 Combined AGOA imports (including GSP provisions) 13,335 10,773 13,040 10,773 13,040 -- US GSP imports 11,532 1,451 932 1,451 932 -- US AGOA imports 1,803 9,321 12,108 9,321 12,108 Textiles and apparel: Exports by US 29,243 38,954 38,421 38,954 38,421 Imports by US 25,050 24,664 28,543 24,664 28,543 Combined AGOA imports (including GSP provisions) 5,985 7,872 10,103 7,872 10,103 -- US GSP imports 250 594 1,169 594 1,169 -- US AGOA imports 5,735 7,278 8,934 7,278 8,934 Footwear: Exports by US 963 297 701 297 701 Imports by US 617 215 376 215 376 Combined AGOA imports (including GSP provisions) 482 119 180 119 180 -- US GSP imports -- US AGOA imports 482 119 180 119 180 Minerals and metals: Exports by US 273,770 287,124 327,344 287,124 327,344 Imports by US 4,753,809 5,663,999 4,935,185 5,663,999 4,935,185 Combined AGOA imports (including GSP provisions) 827,888 673,375 490,782 673,375 490,782 -- US GSP imports 547,424 276,020 188,026 276,020 188,026 -- US AGOA imports 280,464 397,355 302,756 397,355 302,756 Machinery: Exports by US 604,454 611,557 569,982 611,557 569,982 Imports by US 274,483 291,669 328,575 291,669 328,575 Combined AGOA imports (including GSP provisions) 18,659 22,874 30,182 22,874 30,182 -- US GSP imports 14,772 20,711 26,125 20,711 26,125 -- US AGOA imports 3,887 2,163 4,057 2,163 4,057 Transportation equipment: Exports by US 1,073,290 1,260,719 1,214,520 1,260,719 1,214,520 Imports by US 1,397,779 766,347 580,955 766,347 580,955 Combined AGOA imports (including GSP provisions) 1,325,277 698,640 499,078 698,640 499,078 -- US GSP imports 136,174 131,082 146,116 131,082 146,116 -- US AGOA imports 1,189,103 567,559 352,962 567,559 352,962 Electronic products: Exports by US 455,437 476,982 480,232 476,982 480,232 Imports by US 71,145 75,371 79,677 75,371 79,677 Combined AGOA imports (including GSP provisions) 18,042 18,798 18,331 18,798 18,331 -- US GSP imports 18,018 11,692 13,811 11,692 13,811 -- US AGOA imports 24 7,107 4,520 7,107 4,520 Miscellaneous manufactures: Exports by US 95,587 95,880 68,309 95,880 68,309 Imports by US 212,590 246,298 230,064 246,298 230,064 Combined AGOA imports (including GSP provisions) 126,092 147,553 145,395 147,553 145,395 -- US GSP imports 108,791 104,091 113,947 104,091 113,947 -- US AGOA imports 17,302 43,462 31,449 43,462 31,449 Special provisions: Exports by US 216,647 242,938 230,703 242,938 230,703 Imports by US 115,886 136,616 122,820 136,616 122,820 Combined AGOA imports (including GSP provisions) -- US GSP imports -- US AGOA imports All sectors: Exports by US 4,412,014 4,790,625 4,644,897 4,790,625 4,644,897 Imports by US 8,019,713 8,547,519 7,633,977 8,547,519 7,633,977 Combined AGOA imports (including GSP provisions) 2,938,647 2,379,033 1,973,354 2,379,033 1,973,354 -- US GSP imports 1,119,691 881,927 751,291 881,927 751,291 -- US AGOA imports 1,818,956 1,497,106 1,222,063 1,497,106 1,222,063 US Department of Commerce Note: empty fields denote ‘no trade’, NE means ‘not eligible’ * “Domestic exports” (by the US) measures goods that are grown, produced, or manufactured in the United States, and commodities of foreign origin that have been changed in the United States. Goods may be changed in a US FTZ, from the form in which they were imported, or they may be enhanced in value or improved in condition by further processing or manufacturing in the United States. Published on www.AGOA.info - tralac’s online AGOA information portal Related Documents Download SARS AGOA visa application

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Economic Background

South Africa is a middle-income, emerging market with an abundant supply of natural resources; well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors and a stock exchange that is the 15th largest in the world. Even though the country possesses modern infrastructure that support a relatively efficient distribution of goods to major urban centers throughout the region, some components retard growth.

The economy began to slow in the second half of 2007 due to an electricity crisis. State power supplier Eskom encountered problems with aging plants and meeting electricity demand necessitating "load-shedding" cuts in 2007 and 2008 to residents and businesses in the major cities. Subsequently, the global financial crisis reduced commodity prices and world demand.

GDP fell nearly 2% in 2009 but has recovered since then. Unemployment, poverty, and inequality remain a challenge, with official unemployment at nearly 25% of the work force.

State power supplier Eskom has built two new power stations and installed new power demand management programs to improve power grid reliability.

South Africa's economic policy has focused on controlling inflation, however, the country has had significant budget deficits that restrict its ability to deal with pressing economic problems. The current government faces growing pressure from special interest groups to use state-owned enterprises to deliver basic services to low-income areas and to increase job growth. (Source: World Factbook, 2013)