President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Wednesday that South Africa has entered an advanced phase of negotiations with the United States to secure an improved tariff deal. Speaking during a press briefing in Bern, Switzerland, Ramaphosa revealed that discussions had moved to the “text-based” stage — a milestone he described as “tremendous progress.”
“They are now fortunately, based on text. And once you get to that level, with any government you are said to have made tremendous progress,” Ramaphosa told reporters.
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He added that he hoped an agreement would be finalised “fairly soon,” although he cautioned that timelines in diplomatic negotiations often shift. “Timeframes when you deal with governments are always things that shift, and so … soon could be tomorrow; next week; next month,” he said.
The talks follow US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose a 30-percent import tax on South African goods in August — the highest rate imposed on any sub-Saharan African nation.
Trade Diversification Seen as an “Opportunity Opener”
Ramaphosa was speaking during a state visit to Switzerland, which is also seeking a more favourable tariff arrangement with Washington after facing a 39-percent import levy.
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter appeared less hopeful about her country’s negotiations, saying, “The Swiss economic affairs ministry is following up on talks with the US authorities. But in the end, the president of the United States will decide upon the result, and this is why we might need some patience here.”
Despite the trade challenges, Ramaphosa expressed optimism, highlighting that the situation had encouraged South Africa to expand its trade partnerships. “What this tariff imposition has done is to make us want to diversify our trade reach, and we as South Africa have been looking at spreading our trade wings more effectively to other markets,” he said.
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During the visit, South Africa and Switzerland signed five memorandums of understanding covering economic cooperation and other areas. With bilateral trade valued at 3.6 billion Swiss francs ($4.5 billion) in 2024, Switzerland remains South Africa’s second-largest trading partner in Africa and one of its top ten foreign investors.
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Ramaphosa concluded that, despite the strain tariffs have placed on trade, they could also stimulate growth. “In many ways, whilst imposition of tariffs is quite negative… it also opens up opportunities,” he said. “We should look at it as an opportunity opener.”
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