Early reports indicate that U.S. President Donald Trump sent a letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa on Truth Social. In the letter, Trump informed Ramaphosa that South Africa will face a 30% tariff on all products exported to the U.S. starting August 1, 2025, unless a new trade deal is negotiated by that date.
Speaking on VOCs, political economist Khaya Sithole said the move signifies “chaos” for South Africa.
“Trump announced his so-called liberation day tariffs, which he described as arbitrary numbers that each country would need to pay as tariffs to access the U.S. market,” explained Sithole.
“Once it became apparent that these numbers were arbitrary, he claimed he would introduce a 90-day pause to allow for negotiations on more concrete deals. This pause expired on Tuesday, July 8, 2025,” added Sithole.
*Listen to the full interview here.
Photo: PresidencyZA/X
