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.

Responding swiftly, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has sharply pushed back, labelling the tariff a "contested interpretation" of the current trade reality. In a statement from his office, Ramaphosa highlighted that South Africa's average tariff on imports is a modest 7.

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.