The US African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) has expired and is unlikely to be renewed despite optimistic remarks by Trade and Industry Minister Parks Tau and Ronald Lamola Minister of International Relations and Co-operation (Dispatches 6/10/25 AGOA expiry set to become painful reality & AC Vol 66 No 19 Parks Tau – Ramaphosa's trade troubleshooter)...

A former African National Congress (ANC) Mayor of Johannesburg Parks Tau's career was in jeopardy after losing the mayoralty to the Democratic Alliance's Herman Mashaba in 2016 after just one term: a party stronghold lost and a handsome ANC majority from 2011 wiped out (AC Vol 57 No 17 Zuma carries on regardless)...

Parks Tau has been in talks with China and the European Union for much of this year primarily focusing on green industrialisation and enhancing industrial supply chains...

It coincided with Trade Minister Parks Tau's efforts to renegotiate a 30% tariff imposed on South African exports by United States President Donald Trump's administration (AC Vol 66 No 16 Tariff calamity deepens rift with Washington)...

The Democratic Alliance the African National Congress's main coalition partner has been accused of undermining trade talks through ‘reckless statements' according to Trade Minister Parks Tau...

Others include foreign minister Ronald Lamola Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshaveni Minister of Trade and Industry and Competition Parks Tau and special Ramaphosa's special envoy Mcebisi Jonas...

The other Ramaphosa allies who have been appointed to ANC committees are Mmamoloko Kubayi who is head of economic transformation and Parks Tau and Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams who are head and deputy of local government intervention...

Senior ANC figures in Gauteng including former Johannesburg mayor Parks Tau and former Gauteng premier David Makhura are also set to be appointed to Ramaphosa's new cabinet...