South Africa has positioned Türkiye among its strategically prioritized target markets in response to U.S. tariffs that are due to take effect on Aug. 8, a report indicated on Monday.
The country, which had a rough start to relations with the new Trump administration, faces a 30% levy, the highest rate among sub-Saharan African countries.
Accordingly, its government is said to have launched a comprehensive strategy to develop relations with alternative trade partners to counter the tariffs.
Anadolu Agency (AA), citing a statement from the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation, said it described the new 30% customs tariff, applied despite South Africa's only 0.25% share in U.S. imports, as an "incomprehensible" decision that damages mutual relations.
However, it also noted that South Africa will continue contacts with the U.S. to reach an agreement benefiting the interests of both countries.
"Instead of relationships that deprive our country of the capacity to utilize its mineral wealth and imitate the colonial-era coercive trade relations, we aim to make agreements that promote value-added production and industrialization," it added.
"Our foremost priority is protecting our export industries. We will continue to engage the U.S. in an attempt to preserve market access for our products," Reuters quoted President Cyril Ramaphosa as saying separately in a newsletter on Monday.
South Africa is a major producer of precious metals, including gold and platinum, which it exports to other markets, in addition to other items such as mineral fuels, vehicles and plastics.
Moreover, the statement by the ministry noted that the new tariff regime may directly impact South Africa's economy, making it necessary to turn to alternative markets.
It emphasized that this situation also presents an opportunity to develop new partnerships in markets that have not been sufficiently explored so far.
"In this context, along with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, Türkiye is among the strategically prioritized target markets," the statement said.
The statement also noted that significant progress has already been made in opening up to markets such as the European Union, China, Thailand, Japan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia.
According to official data, Türkiye’s bilateral trade volume with South Africa, its largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa, reached approximately $2 billion in 2024.
About $700 million of this trade was Turkish exports, and $1.3 billion was imports from South Africa.
