Trump’s tariffs threaten 35,000 jobs in South Africa’s citrus export industry   

On April 2, President Trump imposed a sweeping 10% baseline tariff on all U.S. imports, alongside targeted duties of up to 31% on select countries—including South Africa.

Reuters reports that the move has sparked concern among South African citrus growers, who now face a sharp increase in costs to access the U.S. market.

According to the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA), the new tariffs would add approximately $4.50 to the cost of each carton of fruit, significantly eroding the competitiveness of South African citrus in the United States. The U.S. currently accounts for between 5% and 6% of South Africa’s citrus exports.

Chairperson of the CGA, Gerrit van der Merwe, warned that towns like Citrusdal in the Western Cape, which rely heavily on citrus exports, could suffer severe economic fallout.

“The severity and immediate nature of the impending tariffs could mean that towns like it now face either increased unemployment or maybe even total economic collapse.  

“There is immense anxiety in our communities,” he said.

The new tariffs also raise questions about the future of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a U.S. trade initiative that has, for 25 years, provided qualifying African countries with duty-free access to American markets.

South African officials argue that the tariffs effectively negate AGOA’s benefits, just months before the agreement is set to expire in September.

In Nigeria, the government is also bracing for the impacts of the 14% reciprocal tax imposed on the country, as it acknowledged that the new U.S. trade policy would disrupt the country’s non-oil exports.

According to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, the government has rolled out policy, financing, and infrastructure measures to help Nigerian businesses adapt.