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South Africa’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Parks Tau, has announced that a revised trade offer has been formally submitted to the United States, signaling a significant effort to ease strained trade relations and address Washington’s concerns over trade imbalances.
The move follows a recent Cabinet-level meeting where the South African government agreed to adjust its trade position in response to criticisms raised in the U.S. Trade Representative’s 2025 National Trade Estimates report. Tau emphasized that the new proposal “substantively responds” to key U.S. concerns, though he refrained from disclosing specific terms due to diplomatic sensitivities, noting that the U.S. should receive and review the offer directly before details are made public.
The latest proposal, submitted on Tuesday, builds on an initial offer from May and includes a USD 3.3 billion investment pledge in U.S. sectors such as mining, metals recycling, and agriculture; improved agricultural market access, particularly the simplification of U.S. poultry exports under the 2016 tariff rate quota system; and a willingness to allow U.S. blueberry exports into South Africa, pending compliance with phytosanitary standards.
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These measures come in response to the recent imposition of a 30% tariff on South African imports by the U.S.—the highest such tariff placed on any sub-Saharan African country—as part of broader American efforts to correct trade deficits. While the timeline for an official U.S. response remains uncertain, Tau expressed confidence in the revised offer and the prospect of moving toward a more balanced and mutually beneficial trade relationship.