South Africa to offer US ‘generous' trade deal to avert 30% tariff
Washington imposed the duties on Friday, the highest in sub-Saharan Africa, despite Pretoria's efforts to negotiate an arrangement that could avert major job losses.
Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen said details of the offer would be made public later but confirmed that measures to increase imports of US poultry, blueberries and pork had been finalised.
'When the document is eventually made public, I think you would see it as a very broad, generous and ambitious offer to the United States on trade,' Steenhuisen told a press briefing.
Officials have warned the tariffs could cost around 30,000 jobs in an economy already struggling with 33.2 per cent unemployment, according to official figures released on Tuesday.
'Our goal is to demonstrate that South African exports do not pose a threat to US industries and that our trade relationship is, in fact, complementary,' Trade Minister Parks Tau said.
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