South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has opposed what he calls the "unilateral" higher trade tariffs imposed on his country by the US. US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he would subject imports from South Africa to a new 30% tariff from 1 August.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa pushed back against U.S. President Donald Trump's imposition of a 30% tariff, saying that it was based on an inaccurate understanding of the two countries' trade and that negotiations with the U.

Trump sent a letter to Ramaphosa on Monday, July 7, informing him that BRICS nation South Africa would face a 30 percent reciprocal tariff from August 1, 2025, to reflect the trade barriers he said the U.S. faces. Trump sent similar letters to 13 other countries.