The Impact of US Tariffs on South Africa in April 2025
In April 2025, the Trump administration reintroduced sweeping tariffs on global imports to the United States, invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to justify a new regime of “reciprocal” duties. Among the countries hardest hit was South Africa, which saw its exports subjected to a 30% tariff—three times higher than the new global baseline. The change coincided with the impending expiration of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), effectively nullifying its remaining benefits and disrupting trade dynamics between the two nations. South Africa’s economic ties with the United States have long been underpinned by AGOA, which enabled duty-free access for a range of products, including automobiles, citrus fruits, and certain manufactured goods. In 2023 alone, US imports from South Africa totaled more than $8 billion, with the automotive sector and agricultural exports playing an outsized role. With the imposition of punitive tariffs, this preferenti...
