South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned that global trade is increasingly being weaponized, with punitive tariffs and volatile policies destabilizing economies and threatening development.
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly and later at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, Ramaphosa said that “geopolitical shocks and unprecedented trade policy volatility are destabilising the global economy and jeopardising a critical source of development finance. In fact, trade is now being used as a weapon against a number of countries in the world,” according to Reuters.
His comments came after the United States, under President Donald Trump, imposed a 30% tariff on certain South African imports in August 2025, a move that has placed industries like agriculture, automotive, and manufacturing under strain. South Africa has long benefited from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which allows duty-free access for many exports to the U.S., but with new tariffs and uncertainty around the programme’s future, the economic benefits are under threat. Farmers and exporters have already warned that tens of thousands of jobs could be lost, particularly in the citrus sector, if the tariffs remain in place.
Ramaphosa confirmed that his government is in talks with U.S. trade representatives to push for tariff reductions, while Trade Minister Parks Tau has met U.S. officials in Washington to negotiate exemptions and protect South African exports. Despite these efforts, the tariffs highlight a broader global risk: that major economies are increasingly using trade measures as political tools, undermining predictability and growth for developing nations. For South Africa, the challenge is twofold securing the continuation of AGOA and reducing dependence on any single market by diversifying trade partners, including strengthening ties with Asia and other African countries.
