Pretoria’s Department of Trade, Industry and Competition confirmed on Tuesday that South Africa has formally requested more time to finalize a trade agreement before the 31% tariff on U.S. imports from South Africa takes full effect.
According to a statement from South Africa’s Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, the country is pushing for a worst-case tariff cap of 10% as negotiations with the United States continue.
Reuters reports that South African officials recently met with Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa, Connie Hamilton, in Luanda, where they were informed that Washington is developing a standardized template for its trade engagements with African nations.
“In view of this development… African countries, including South Africa, have advocated for the extension of the 90-day deadline to enable countries to prepare their proposed deals in accordance with the new template,” the department said.
Trump’s trade tariff
Recall that U.S. President Donald Trump issued a decree imposing tariffs that range from 10% for countries such as Kenya, Ghana, and Ethiopia, to as high as 30% for South Africa and 50% for Lesotho, as part of his administration’s broader recalibration of trade relations with Africa.
The tariff, initially announced in April as part of Trump’s broader “reciprocal trade” policy, was temporarily paused for 90 days to allow room for negotiations.
However, with the grace period nearing its end, pressure is mounting on both sides to reach a compromise that preserves South Africa’s preferential access to the U.S. market under frameworks like the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
Ramaphosa’s administration argues that the tariffs disproportionately harm South African manufacturers and exporters, many of whom rely on the U.S. as a key market.
The South African government has emphasized its long-standing economic and diplomatic ties with Washington, positioning the current dispute as a test of mutual cooperation under changing global trade dynamics.
The Trump administration, however, maintains that the tariffs are necessary to correct what it sees as imbalanced trade practices and to protect American industries from unfair competition.
Trump’s reciprocal tariff policy has already affected several U.S. trading partners, and South Africa’s inclusion in the latest round has sparked concern among African policymakers about a broader shift in U.S.-Africa trade relations.
