The US government has raised tariffs against several countries under section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, on the acts, policies and practices of 60 economies related to the failure of each economy to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labour. The South African government, private sector and organised agriculture made submissions to the US authorities against this tariff increase. But that message and clarification didn’t find a hearing ear.
The rise in tariffs that South Africa faces in the US from 10% to 12.5% is not ideal, but the agricultural sector could still do better given where we are coming from: a 30% tariff. Importantly, the US has raised tariffs for a range of countries, including some of South Africa’s agricultural competitors, such as Australia, Peru and Chile, which are also at these levels. Notably, oranges, fruit juices and nuts are still exempt from these tariffs.
The US remains an important market for South African agriculture, accounting for about 4% of our agricultural exports of $15.1bn in 2025. The main exported products include citrus, berries, grapes, wine, fruit juices, apples, pears, apricots and nuts.