United States hits South Africa hard
The United States enacted its Section 301 tariffs on Friday, 24 July, imposing 10% to 12.5% tariffs on countries it deems have committed forced labour violations—including South Africa.
The new measures took effect on Friday, 24 July, under Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974.
South Africa has been placed in the upper tariff tier and will face a 12.5% duty on affected exports to the United States.
South Africa was grouped alongside major economies, including China, Japan, and South Korea, after the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) determined that its enforcement of bans on forced-labour imports was inadequate.
The tariffs form part of a broader action against 60 economies that the Trump administration says have failed to effectively prohibit the importation of goods made with forced labour.
Announcing the decision, US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer said the action followed months of investigations, consultations, public hearings and thousands of public submissions.
“President Trump recognises that decades of moral suasion have not eradicated forced labour from global supply chains,” Greer said.
“The United States has had a forced labour import ban for nearly a century, and rigorously enforces it; it’s well past time for our trading partners to do the same.”
He added that the tariffs would help address “both a human rights abuse and a distortive trade practice to improve the welfare of workers everywhere.”
The USTR launched investigations into 60 economies on 12 March 2026 at the direction of President Donald Trump.
Public hearings were held in April, while officials consulted with more than 45 governments, including South Africa.
On 2 June, the USTR concluded that the investigated economies’ failure to impose and effectively enforce prohibitions on imports produced with forced labour was “unreasonable” and placed an unfair burden on US commerce.
The agency then proposed tariffs, invited public comment, reviewed more than 1,600 written submissions and heard testimony from over 100 witnesses before making its final decision.
What the tariffs mean for South Africa
A senior Trump administration official described the move as “the most sweeping international labour rights action the United States has ever taken—that any country has ever taken.”
The official also noted that the new Section 301 tariffs would not be added to the existing Section 232 tariffs already imposed on products such as steel and aluminium.
South Africa sought to avoid the tariffs through diplomatic engagement.
A delegation led by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) appeared before the USTR during the public hearings to argue that South Africa already has legislation prohibiting forced labour and the importation of goods produced under such conditions.
“In the oral testimony, South Africa emphasised that the country has laws that prohibit forced labour and that the country has ratified the relevant International Labour Organisation fundamental Conventions,” the DTIC said.
“Further, South Africa has the legal framework to enforce the prohibition of the importation of goods produced using forced labour.”
The department argued that South Africa’s International Trade Administration Act empowers the government to prohibit or restrict imports where necessary.
Additionally, the Customs and Excise Act allows the South African Revenue Service to stop, detain and seize prohibited goods at the country’s borders.
It also noted that South Africa already bans products made through prison labour under Section 113 of the Customs and Excise Act.
Despite these arguments, Washington proceeded with the tariffs without granting exemptions for South African exports.
The 12.5% tariff is expected to affect several of South Africa’s largest export industries to the United States, including automotive manufacturing, agriculture, metals, and broader manufacturing.
However, some products have been excluded from this round of tariffs. Goods are already subject to separate US sector-specific duties.
This will include steel and aluminium, as well as certain fertilisers and energy products, which will not be subject to the additional Section 301 levy.
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