South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has strongly criticized the United States’ decision to impose a 30% tariff on South African imports, calling it a “unilateral” and unjustified move based on inaccurate trade data.
The tariffs, part of a broader wave of trade restrictions announced by the Trump administration, affect 14 countries, including Japan, South Korea, and South Africa—the only sub-Saharan
African nation targeted. While the U.S. delayed implementation of some of the tariffs, letters detailing the new hikes were sent out Monday.
In a statement released Tuesday, the South African presidency pushed back, arguing that the average tariff on goods entering South Africa is just 7.6%, with 56% of imports entering duty-free.
“77% of U.S. goods currently enter the South African market at a 0% duty,” the statement added.
Pretoria emphasized its commitment to “diplomatic efforts towards a more balanced and mutually beneficial trade relationship” with Washington, while also urging local companies to diversify their markets to boost economic resilience.
Relations between the two countries have grown increasingly tense since Donald Trump’s return to office, with a May meeting between the two leaders yielding little progress.
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