President Cyril Ramaphosa opted for a measured response to Washington’s 30% import duties, stressing diplomacy over confrontation and insisting targeted relief would blunt the effect.
“All channels of communication remain open to engage with the US, and our negotiators are ready pending invitation from the US,” Ramaphosa said in a statement.
The US confirmed the tariff wall on SA exports, barring products that include copper, pharmaceutical products, critical minerals and energy goods, escalating trade and diplomatic tension and plunging the ailing SA economy into uncertainty.
The confirmation came hours after Pretoria triggered an emergency plan to counteract the tariffs. It launched an Export Support Desk on Thursday evening, which is billed as a rapid response unit designed to help affected firms with compliance and diplomatic linkages.
In addition, Ramaphosa said the government was working on a suite of other interventions aimed at cushioning the blow to key sectors, the biggest of which are the automotive and agricultural sectors.
“The package consists of a number of measures to assist companies, producers and workers affected by the tariffs on SA exports to the US. The details of the measures will be announced in due course,” he said.
The tariff wall, which comes into effect in seven days, has tested SA’s diplomatic agility and domestic unity, testing how quickly the government, opposition and business can pivot, and whether they can turn the crisis into a national co-ordination exercise. It comes at a time when SA has no ambassadorial representation in Washington.
“We have had no-one at the wheel in Washington. What message do we send to the US in terms of how importantly we see them as our second-biggest trading partner?” said agriculture minister John Steenhuisen and leader of the DA.
“It is the president’s prerogative: my view is we should not send a political person, but a career diplomat like ambassador Mxolisi Nkosi, who has had great success in negotiating trade deals with, among others, the EU.”
Nkosi is SA’s representative to the UN in Geneva. Before this role, he served in various senior positions within the SA diplomatic corps, including being ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg, and head of mission to the EU.
Steenhuisen added that Ramaphosa must take a more hands-on approach for SA to avert a devastating economic crisis.
“The immediate impact will have devastating consequences for the export of table grapes, wine, leather and nuts. We cannot redirect goods overnight to other markets. Redirecting in the short term is going to be difficult. This will also deal a major blow to SA’s economic growth prospects,” Steenhuisen added.
“The president needs to find time to meet his GNU partners. We should have all been on deck helping [department of trade, industry and competitions] minister Park Tau this week. We want to be part of the solution, and that means remaining at the table,” Steenhuisen said.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.