Overview

• President Trump notified South Africa on July 7 of a unilateral 30% tariff on imports effective August 1, citing an unbalanced trade deficit.
• South Africa’s official data shows an average import tariff of 7.6% with 56% of all goods and 77% of U.S. products entering duty-free under most-favored-nation rules.
• Pretoria warns that the steep U.S. levy jeopardizes its duty-free access under the African Growth and Opportunity Act, threatening key agricultural and manufacturing exports.
• South Africa’s trade team is awaiting a formal U.S. engagement template first referenced at the June 23 US-Africa Summit in Luanda.
• President Cyril Ramaphosa has directed urgent talks based on a Framework Deal submitted on May 20 to resolve disputes over trade surpluses, unfair practices and reciprocity.