President Donald Trump has just announced new import tariffs on imports into the United States—and South Africa is taking one of the biggest hits, facing a steep 30% increase. For comparison, Europe’s goods face a 20% hike, while China sees a 34% rise.  

On HOT Business with Jeremy Maggs and Moneyweb, Investec’s Chief Economist Annabel Bishop explained what this means for our economy. In short: it’s not great news.  

South Africa exports a lot of products to the US—especially cars and agricultural goods. With these new import tariffs, those exports suddenly become more expensive and less attractive to American buyers. That could mean fewer sales, less production, and slower economic growth here at home.  

Import Tariffs Force SA to Rethink Trade 

Bishop also warned that this move comes at a bad time. We were already expecting to lose some key trade benefits (known as AGOA), and this just adds more pressure. As a result, forecasts for South Africa’s economic growth this year have been cut from 1.8% to just 1.3%.  

The bigger picture? The world is shifting. The US wants to focus on local manufacturing and reduce its reliance on other countries. That means countries like South Africa need to quickly find new trade partners and fresh opportunities—especially in markets like China and India.  

Read More: Making penguins pay: The coldest tariff yet 

In Conclusion 

There’s a lot to unpack, and the global economy is in a fragile state. With the rising import tariffs, South Africa’s economy is about to enter a difficult phase. As the landscape changes, staying informed is more important than ever. Tune in to Hot Business for more expert analysis and to hear Annabel Bishop’s full take on what lies ahead, catch the full interview below.