South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has said that the country must brace for possible exclusion from AGOA. The US program gives eligible African nations, including South Africa, duty-free access to the US market for thousands of products. However, ties between Pretoria and Washington have deteriorated recently. Ramaphosa said it was unclear whether South Africa would keep its place, noting that talks with US officials continue even though some US officials have called for South Africa’s exclusion. He warned that the job losses would be devastating and said he and Deputy President Paul Mashatile have been working to find alternative markets. He pointed to a new trade arrangement with China, which introduced zero tariffs for qualifying South African goods in May, as an encouraging development.