Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986

E50002

The Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986 was a landmark U.S. law that imposed economic sanctions on South Africa to pressure an end to its apartheid system, notably passed by Congress over President Ronald Reagan’s veto.

Observed surface forms (1)

Surface form Occurrences
Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986 1

Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf United States federal law
sanctions legislation
appliesTo South Africa
chamberInvolved United States House of Representatives
United States Senate
countryOfOrigin United States of America
surface form: United States
dateEnacted 1986
October 1986
effect contributed to South Africa’s eventual dismantling of apartheid
increased international pressure on South Africa
historicalContext Cold War
global anti-apartheid movement
jurisdiction United States government
surface form: United States federal government
language English
legalForm statute
legislativeBody United States Congress
mainSubject apartheid
economic sanctions
human rights
notableFeature enacted by overriding a presidential veto
one of the first major U.S. laws to impose comprehensive sanctions on South Africa
symbolic support for the anti-apartheid struggle
officeHolderVeto President of the United States
overrideRequiredMajority two-thirds majority in each chamber
policyTool economic sanctions
financial sanctions
investment restrictions
restrictions on air links with South Africa
restrictions on exports to South Africa
restrictions on imports from South Africa
restrictions on new loans to South Africa
restrictions on nuclear cooperation with South Africa
trade restrictions
politicalContext Reagan administration foreign policy debates
U.S. congressional opposition to constructive engagement with South Africa
purpose to impose economic sanctions on South Africa
to pressure the South African government to end apartheid
to promote human rights and racial equality in South Africa
relatedTo Nelson Mandela
United States–South Africa relations
apartheid in South Africa
shortName Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986 self-linksurface differs
surface form: Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986
signedBy United States Congress
surface form: United States Congress (over veto)
target apartheid regime in South Africa
targetGovernment Government of South Africa
title Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986 self-link
vetoedBy Ronald Reagan
vetoOverridden true
vetoType regular veto

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

99th United States Congress enacted Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986
Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986 shortName Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986 self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986
Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986 title Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986 self-link