South Africa\u2019s finance chief said the government made progress on resetting its relationship with the US and securing a trade deal in talks that took place after President Cyril Ramaphosa\u2019s showdown with Donald Trump at the White House.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ramaphosa\u2019s delegation \u2014 including his trade, agriculture and foreign ministers and local business executives \u2014 held about two hours of talks with officials from the Trump administration about trade and investment opportunities in South Africa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The closed-door discussions followed a televised encounter with Trump in the Oval Office, in which the US leader repeated the false claim that there is a genocide against White Afrikaners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy reading of what has happened behind the scenes is that it was a positive meeting, and therefore in that context, I think there was a reset of the relationship,\u201d Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said in an interview in Cape Town on Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEven if it\u2019s not a final deal, there has been some progress, and over time we are likely to see the conclusion of a deal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ramaphosa and Trump agreed to \u201cstrengthen bilateral trade ties, increase investments for mutual benefit and forge collaboration in technological exchanges,\u201d the office of the South African presidency said in a statement issued late Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPresident Ramaphosa welcomed the expected commencement of trade talks between South Africa and the United States through their respective trade negotiations teams,\u201d it added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The US is South Africa\u2019s second-biggest trading partner \u2014 an economic relationship that\u2019s been jeopardized by a deterioration in political relations following American criticism of Pretoria\u2019s foreign policies, including going to the International Court of Justice to accuse key US ally Israel of genocide in Gaza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump has also falsely claimed that South Africa is unlawfully seizing land from South Africa\u2019s White minority. The authorities haven\u2019t confiscated any private land since apartheid ended in 1994.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among the proposals put to the US administration was a request that the US maintain a reciprocal duty at 10%, while the country negotiates for less stringent levies than the 30% imposed by Trump in April and then suspended until July, Trade, Industry & Competition Minister Parks Tau said in an interview in Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are ready to negotiate on the offer submitted and while we are negotiating, we are proposing that the US maintains the reciprocal duty at no more than 10%,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n