CAPE TOWN: South African government is studying United States President Donald Trump’s proclamation to impose a 10% tariff on aluminium and 25% tariff on steel articles, and its implications for South African exports.
The Department of Trade and Industry (dti) says it has taken note of the 8 March proclamations signed by President Trump to impose a 10% ad valorem tariff on aluminium articles and a 25% ad valorem tariff on steel articles, which will come into effect later this month.
“South Africa is studying the proclamation and its implications for the domestic industry in South Africa,” said the dti on Friday.
South Africa’s steel exports to the US amounted to US$950 million in 2017 and accounted for 1.4% of the US’s global imports. In the case of aluminium, South African exports were at US$375 million in 2017, accounting for 1.6% of US imports from all global suppliers.
The dti said it is clear that South Africa’s exports do not impose a threat to US industry and jobs.
South African exports of aluminium and steel are in some cases used as inputs into further processes in the US manufacturing sector, contributing to US jobs and production.
he US will consider specific requests from affected domestic parties to exclude from any adopted import restrictions. This is for steel articles for which the Secretary of Commerce determines that there is lack of sufficient US production capacity of comparable products, or to exclude steel articles from such restrictions for specific national security-based considerations.
The proclamations make a provision for any country with which the US has a security relationship to discuss alternative ways to address the threatened impairment of the national security caused by imports from that country.
