From next week, South Africa will face a 30% tariff on its exports to the United States, a move expected to cost tens of thousands of jobs after the country failed to secure a trade deal before a deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump.
This was from an executive order on Thursday, in which Trump slapped new tariff rates ranging from 10% to 41% on dozens of countries as he seeks to reshape global trade on more favourable terms for the U.S
According to the order, the higher import duty rates would take effect in seven days.
South Africa has tried for months to negotiate a deal with Washington and offered to buy U.S. liquefied natural gas and invest $3.3 billion in U.S. industries in exchange for lower tariffs. But the effort was unsuccessful, even after Pretoria made a last-minute attempt to improve its offer.
South Africa’s Trade Minister Parks Tau said the higher tariff was a threat to the country’s export capacity, particularly in key sectors such as automotive, agro-processing, steel, and chemicals.
“We are working with urgency and resolve to implement real, practical interventions that defend jobs and position South Africa competitively in a shifting global landscape,” Tau said in a statement late on Thursday.
The U.S. is South Africa’s second-largest bilateral trading partner after China. South Africa’s top exports to the U.S. include cars, iron and steel products, and citrus fruits.
