South Africa’s agriculture minister, John Steenhuisen, has warned that the country’s farming sector is at a pivotal moment. In his recent budget address to Parliament, he emphasized that without swift action to improve market access and strengthen biosecurity, industries like citrus risk losing their capacity to generate employment and contribute to economic growth.
His remarks followed the announcement that the United States will impose a 30% tariff on South African imports starting 1 August. The Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA) echoed Steenhuisen’s concerns, urging the government to use the limited time available to negotiate a mutually beneficial trade agreement with the US.
CGA chairperson Gerrit van der Merwe proposed an alternative solution: exempting seasonal fresh produce from the tariff. He argued that South African citrus does not compete with US-grown citrus, but rather complements it by supplying fruit during the American off-season—ultimately supporting US growers by maintaining consumer demand year-round.
Some sources pointed out that President Donald Trump has previously expressed support for white South Africans, making it contradictory to target a group of farmers who create thousands of jobs in rural communities. Notably, only citrus from South Africa’s Western and Northern Cape provinces is exported to the US.
Van der Merwe stressed that towns like Citrusdal rely heavily on the US citrus market, and a 30% tariff could devastate these local economies. He explained that shifting exports to other countries isn’t a straightforward solution, and doing so could flood alternative markets, driving down prices and harming all South African citrus producers.
There is skepticism about whether the South African government—particularly the ANC-led administration—has the political resolve to reverse the tariff decision within the three-week window. Some believe the issue stems more from geopolitical tensions than from trade itself.