South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said his country had begun negotiations with the US to reduce Washington’s 30% tariff, saying trade was being “used as a weapon.”
US President Donald Trump imposed steep levies on Pretoria over what he alleges are laws that discriminate against white South Africans, with the tariffs forecast to cost South Africa tens of thousands of industrial jobs.
In response to fraying ties with Washington, South Africa has turned to Beijing, with Chinese firms this week announcing hundreds of millions of dollars of investment in industries including mining and manufacturing in Africa’s biggest economy. Beijing also recently extended tariff-free trade to South Africa and 52 other nations on the continent.
