The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has cautioned that South Africa may not secure a favourable trade agreement with the United States by the end of the week.
Speaking at the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation seminar in Sandton, DIRCO Director-General Zane Dangor warned that ongoing negotiations have been complicated by pressure from the United States (US) over domestic policy issues, particularly South Africa’s Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) framework.
“South Africa is under a non-disclosure agreement with the US until the negotiations are complete. The US believes we are not ambitious enough. The reason I say there is no guarantee is because a non-geopolitical and non-trade issue has caused Brazil to bear 50% of the burden—and that’s because of an intervention by the US president on a legal matter in the US,” he added.
Dangor said South Africa remains committed to maintaining strong international partnerships, but not at the expense of its sovereignty. He stressed that while the country is open to dialogue, it will not compromise its constitutional commitments or transformation agenda to appease external powers.
The warning comes as negotiations over trade preferences under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) continue, with some US lawmakers questioning South Africa’s eligibility due to its non-aligned stance on global conflicts and domestic policy direction.
