President Cyril Ramaphosa has responded to US President Donald Trumps announcement of a 30 tariff on imports from South Africa, calling the move a unilateral and contested interpretation of trade data between the two countries.
In a statement issued by the Presidency on Tuesday, Ramaphosa acknowledged receipt of formal communication from the US administration dated 7 July 2025, which confirmed South Africa as one of several nations facing the new tariff.
The tariff is expected to come into effect on 1 August.
According to Ramaphosa, the US justification for the tariff rests on what he described as a disputed view of the balance of trade.
South Africa maintains that the 30 reciprocal tariff is not an accurate representation of available trade data, the statement read.