Trump slaps 30% tariff on South African exports to US from 1 August
US President Donald Trump announced on Monday, 7 July that he would subject imports from South Africa to new 30% tariffs that would take effect from 1 August.
In a letter addressed to President Cyril Ramaphosa, which was signed by Trump and posted to his Truth Social, he said: 'We have had years to discuss our trading relationship with South Africa, and have concluded that we must move away from these long-term, and very persistent, trade deficits engendered by South Africa's tariff, and non-tariff, policies and trade barriers.
'Our relationship has been, unfortunately, far from reciprocal. Starting on August 1, 2025, we will charge South Africa a tariff of only 30% on any and all South African products sent to the United States, separate from all sectoral tariffs.'
Trump added that if South Africa were to increase its tariffs in response to his announcement, the amount it chooses to raise them by would be added on top of the existing 30%.
'If you wish to open your heretofore closed trading markets to the United States, and eliminate your tariff and non-tariff policies and trade barriers, we will, perhaps, consider an adjustment to this letter.
'These tariffs may be modified, upward or downward, depending on our relationship with your country. You will never be disappointed with the United States of America,' he said.
Trump's letter to Ramaphosa was among several posted to his Truth Social on Monday. Other, near-identical letters, with varying tariff rates, were addressed to the leaders of Japan, South Korea, Myanmar, Laos, Kazakhstan and Malaysia.
Trump imposed a 30% tariff on South Africa in April, as part of his global ' reciprocal ' tariffs, before agreeing to suspend their application for 90 days, saying he would hammer out bilateral deals with trade partners.
The 90-day pause on Trump's tariff hikes was expected to come to an end on 9 July.
SA, and other countries around the world, have been pushing to negotiate trade deals with the US to prevent Trump's sweeping tariffs. But only two preliminary deals, with the UK and Vietnam, have since been announced.
SA first presented its draft Framework Deal to the US on 20 May, a day before Ramaphosa met Trump at the White House in Washington. The initial proposal included deals on agriculture, critical minerals, automotive and other exports.
Last week, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) said SA had requested an extension of the 90-day pause, to enable it to revise its proposed trade deal in accordance with the Trump administration's new template for US trade with sub-Saharan Africa.
Trade and Industry Minister Parks Tau said he believed trade discussions with America would continue beyond 9 July, as the US had indicated at a recent meeting that there was still ' room for engagement ' on the matter.
On Sunday, 6 July, Trump also threatened to impose an additional 10% tariff on countries that align themselves with the 'anti-American policies' of BRICS, according to a Reuters report. He said there would be 'no exceptions to this policy'.
Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, the BRICS bloc, including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, and a handful of other nations, voiced 'serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures' which, they said, 'distort trade and are inconsistent with' World Trade Organisation rules.
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