New Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau has made a compelling case that South Africa is seeking to reset its relationship with the United States, which has faltered during the past few years.

Listen to this article 7 min Listen to this article 7 min Last week, the 21st Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) Forum was held in Washington DC. This annual forum is mandated by the Agoa legislation and is meant to provide an opportunity for stakeholders to evaluate the programme's successes and shortcomings.

The first day of the event provided opportunities for the private sector, civil society and African governments to gather and provide their inputs to the formal government-to-government forum held on days two and three. This year's forum was a subdued affair, perhaps owing to the unprecedented political dynamics in Washington, the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, or plain Agoa Forum fatigue - or a combination of the three.

The private sector forum was opened by US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Both members of President Joe Biden's cabinet underscored the importance of US-Africa trade and the renewal of the Agoa legislation which expires next year.

While there has been historic bipartisan support for Agoa since its passage in 2000, the debate has centred on what to include in the next version of the Bill. Some argue that a lean Bill...