South African President Cyril Ramaphosa sent a trade delegation to the US in a bid to roll back punishing tariffs imposed by Washington.
US President Donald Trump slapped a 30% tariff on South African imports over what he alleges are laws that discriminate against white people, as well as Pretoria’s close ties to Russia and China. Ramaphosa is also expected to name a new ambassador to Washington after the last one was expelled.
However, experts have warned that Trump’s tariffs risk pushing Pretoria and other African nations closer to Beijing’s sphere of influence. Africa is “going straight into the hands of China,” a Nigerian economist told CNN. “That is the unfortunate outcome.”
