US President Donald Trump has announced a new 30% tariff on goods imported from South Africa.
Trump targets South Africa with heavy import tax
A tariff is a special tax added to products when they are sold in another country. In this case, South African businesses will now have to pay a 30% extra charge when they sell products to the US.
Trump made the announcement in a press briefing late Wednesday.
He accused the South African government of being “hostile to American values” and “bad for business.”
He did not go into detail, but sources in his administration said the decision was tied to recent political disagreements, trade disputes, and what Trump described as “the unfair treatment of minority groups in South Africa.”
The move comes just one day after a delegation of South African officials, sent by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), arrived in Washington to try to repair tensions between the two countries.
Trump’s announcement has now cast doubt over whether those talks will achieve anything.
What the 30% tariff means for South Africans
South Africa sells many products to the US. These include fruit, wine, cars, and metals.
The new 30% tariff means that these South African goods will now be more expensive for American buyers. This could cause US companies to stop buying from South Africa and get products from other countries instead.
This is bad news for South African exporters and workers in affected industries.
If businesses lose American customers, they may have to cut jobs or reduce salaries. The economy could take a hit — and that might also affect the prices of local goods and the strength of the rand.
This tariff also adds to a growing list of problems in the US–South Africa relationship:
- Trump recently cut American funding for HIV/AIDS programmes in South Africa, which could affect healthcare services for thousands of people.
- His administration also opened a new path for Afrikaners to apply for refugee status in the US, saying they are “endangered,” which South Africa strongly rejected as an insult.
Despite efforts by South African officials to restore normal diplomatic relations, Trump’s latest action suggests that the United States may be preparing to take an even tougher stance.
Whether South Africa will respond with its own tariffs or other measures remains to be seen. For now, the message from Washington is clear: Trump is not backing down.