JOHANNESBURG, April 4 (Xinhua) -- South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola on Friday reiterated Pretoria's concerns over newly imposed U.S. tariffs, unveiling a strategic plan to diversify the country's export markets.
On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a set of sweeping tariffs, including a 31-percent tariff on imports from South Africa, effective from April 9, 2025.
At a joint press conference in Johannesburg with Minister of Trade, Industry, and Competition Parks Tau, Lamola described the tariffs as "a barrier to trade and shared prosperity."
"The sweeping tariff measures will affect several sectors of our economy, including automotive industry, agriculture, processed food and beverage, chemical, metals, and other segments of manufacturing, with implications for jobs and growth," Lamola noted, adding that the tariffs "effectively nullify the preference that Sub-Saharan African countries enjoy under the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)."
Lamola announced that South Africa would take wide-ranging measures to counter the tariffs. Foremost among these would be diversifying South Africa's export destinations to curb dependency on a single market.
"Efforts will intensify to diversify export destinations, targeting markets across Africa, as well as in Asia, Europe, Middle East, and Americas," he said.
According to Lamola, the comprehensive strategy to mitigate the economic impact of the newly imposed tariffs also includes negotiating favorable trade agreements with the U.S., leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to boost intra-African trade, prioritizing high-value manufacturing to reduce tariff exposure, stimulating domestic growth, and forging global alliances.
While responding to a question about diversifying trade markets, Tau revealed that the South African government has "long started the process of diversifying."
Tau also highlighted the importance of transparency in tariff calculations, using World Trade Organization (WTO) standards and the most favored nations' mechanism. "We are advocating for a reform of the WTO and ensuring that it's able to adapt to current reality, but also ensuring that we're able to reinforce a multilateral system of trade and transparency across the board," he added.
Both ministers stressed the need for clarity from the U.S. administration on how they arrived at the tariff number, referencing international norms and standards.
