President Cyril Ramaphosa has acknowledged President Donald Trumps letter imposing a 30 tariff on South African exports to the US, citing trade imbalances and market restrictions.
The South African government contests this interpretation, arguing that the tariffs will harm local manufacturers and exporters who rely heavily on the US market.
Ramaphosas administration emphasises long-standing economic and diplomatic ties with the US, positioning the current dispute as a test of mutual cooperation.
South Africa maintains the 30 reciprocal tariffs is not an accurate representation of available trade data. The President urges government trade negotiations teams and South African companies to accelerate their diversification efforts in order to promote better resilience in both global supply chains and the South African economy, says Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya.
The US trade deficit with South Africa last year stood at 8.8 billion dollars.