By Ebi Kesiena
South Africa is intensifying negotiations with the United States to avoid the looming 30-percent tariff on its exports, which President Cyril Ramaphosa warns could cost the country thousands of jobs.
The tariffs, part of a new trade policy affecting nearly 70 countries, were initially expected to take effect Friday but have been delayed until August 7, giving Pretoria a short window to secure a reprieve.
“We are negotiating as strongly and as hard as we can with the United States,” Ramaphosa told journalists in Pretoria on Friday.
“Our objective, really, is to save jobs. Within the window that’s still open, we are hoping that we will find a way to settle this matter.”
The United States is South Africa’s second-largest trading partner after China. The country’s central bank governor, Lesetja Kganyago, has warned that the tariffs could threaten as many as 100,000 jobs, particularly in agriculture and the automotive sector, two of the nation’s key export industries.
Ramaphosa said the government is not only pursuing a resolution with Washington but also diversifying its export markets to reduce reliance on a single trade partner. “It is too risky just to focus on one,” he said, adding that Pretoria is also strengthening economic ties with Asia, the Middle East, and other African nations.
According to South Africa’s trade ministry, Pretoria’s offer to Washington includes commitments to import US liquefied natural gas and agricultural products, while South African firms are exploring joint ventures in US mining, metals recycling, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural machinery.
The President emphasized that protecting South African workers and industries remains his administration’s top priority as the August 7 deadline approaches.
