Ramaphosa and Trump to discuss trade relations at G7 Summit
Mashudu Sadike | Published 2 weeks ago
President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to meet with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) Summit in Canada this weekend.
The meeting will focus on key issues, including the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and US-SA tariffs.
Ramaphosa's meeting with Trump comes after South Africa submitted a revised framework proposal to the US, aiming to expand trade and investment relations between the two countries.
The US imposed tariffs on South African imports in April, with a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs of 30% against South African exports.
The tariffs were part of a broader set of 'liberation day' tariffs imposed by Trump on all US trading partners.
However, they were later reduced to a base rate of 10%, with the expectation that countries would use the 90 days to propose solutions addressing the US's trade deficit concerns.
Ramaphosa's meeting with Trump will be his second in about three weeks, following their tense encounter at the White House last month.
During their previous meeting, Ramaphosa emphasised the importance of the US's role in the G20 Summit and invited Trump to attend the G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg later this year.
Trump agreed to attend, and Ramaphosa sees this as a positive development for bilateral relations.
According to sources close to Ramaphosa, the meeting agenda will include discussions on AGOA, providing duty-free access to the US market for some African products.
The agreement is set to expire in September, and South Africa is eager to see it renewed.
Ramaphosa will also raise concerns about US-SA tariffs, urging the US not to increase them beyond the current 10% if negotiations on a new trade framework are not concluded by July 9.
The sources further said the meeting between Ramaphosa and Trump was significant, given the current state of US-SA trade relations.
'The business sector has expressed concerns about the rise of tariffs, and Ramaphosa is under pressure to come up with answers. A successful meeting could help to ease tensions and pave the way for improved trade relations between the two countries,' the source added.
Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya did not respond to questions as to what to expect at the upcoming meeting.
However, Ramaphosa, while speaking to journalists on Tuesday after he announced the date for the National Dialogue on various issues affecting the country, confirmed that he would be meeting Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Ramaphosa said he was invited by Carney, who holds the presidency of the G7, and would also use the opportunity to talk about the G20 Summit to be hosted by South Africa in November, where Trump will take over the presidency.
'We're going to use it as a platform to begin to consolidate what we want to achieve in November when the leaders' summit takes place here (in Johannesburg),' he said.
Last month, Ramaphosa and his delegation included Minister of Trade and Industry Parks Tau, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, and International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola.
His goals for that meeting included resetting US-SA relations and beginning serious engagement with the US on trade and investment.
He emphasised that South Africa did not 'go kowtowing' to the White House but rather took the initiative to engage with the US.
'For us, it's important for us as a nation to reposition ourselves in the very turbulent geopolitical architecture or situation that we have,' Ramaphosa said at the time.
Cape Times
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mail & Guardian
2 hours ago
- Mail & Guardian
DA will not leave GNU or table motion against Ramaphosa despite Whitfield firing
DA Leader John Steenhuisen. (Delwyn Verasamy / M&G) Despite feeling hard-done-by over the firing of one of its deputy ministers, the Democratic Alliance (DA) says it will not leave the government of national unity (GNU) or table a motion of no confidence against President However, the party said on Saturday it was withdrawing from a DA leader The DA had earlier in the week — after Whitfield's axing — given Ramaphosa a 48-hour ultimatum to similarly fire corruption‑accused ministers Ramaphosa responded that he would not be swayed by threats or ultimatums, insisting that he had acted within his constitutional powers in letting Whitfield go. On Saturday Steenhuisen said the DA would remain in the GNU despite how it had been treated, arguing that leaving would open South Africa to a 'coalition of chaos and destruction' with disastrous consequences, through the inclusion of radical parties such as the 'We've said to South Africans when we went into the GNU that we're here for the best interests of South Africa,' he said. 'We do not believe that it is the best interest of South Africa for the current GNU to collapse and for a coalition of chaos or corruption to follow, because the feeding frenzy that would then result from MK or the EFF getting into office and other parties will be significant.' But he added: 'Things have to change. They cannot stay the same as they are, and the ANC needs to start realizing that we are part of a coalition. Being part of a coalition means that you show respect to your coalition partners. I have shown nothing but respect to the president throughout the term of the GNU, and we will continue to do so — but it is only fair that respect is reciprocated.' Steenhuisen dared Ramaphosa to eject the DA out of the coalition government, telling journalists: 'If the ANC wants to kick the DA out for fighting corruption, well, so be it.' He said tabling a motion of no confidence against Ramaphosa was still on the table. 'We understand the concerns that many South Africans have about what will follow once Ramaphosa is removed from office. However, I want to be honest that, in the DA's view, the president is failing to uphold his word to act against corruption and fast becoming indistinguishable from the 'Now, while the federal executive decided not to table a motion of no confidence at this stage, it is clear that the DA is losing confidence in the president's ability to act as a leader — not only of the ANC but of the GNU, of which we are the second-largest component.' The DA also announced its withdrawal from the national dialogue which is expected to bring citizens together to address corruption, gender-based violence, unemployment, and other social ills. 'It is clear the dialogue will be nothing more than a waste of time and money — a distraction from ANC failures. This explains why they are so obsessed with it; it's clearly an electioneering ploy at taxpayers' expense to gloss over the serious crises they have plunged South Africa into,' Steenhuisen said. 'The dialogue has no constitutional standing to impose decisions. Frankly, if the president cannot meaningfully engage with his coalition partners, there is little point pretending this is anything more than an ANC-run national dialogue.' He added that the DA would mobilise civil society to oppose what he called an 'obscene waste' of over R700 million of public funds. It would demand that the dialogue not proceed unless Ramaphosa removed corrupt ANC individuals from the national executive. 'The reality is, no matter what the dialogue resolves — no matter how many noble resolutions or feel-good moments — it will not bring meaningful change if the same corrupt individuals remain in cabinet. The people of South Africa should not be taken for fools.' The DA would also vote against upcoming budget proposals for departments led by Simelane, Nkabane, and other corruption‑accused ministers and persist until those ministers were removed, Steenhuisen said. He defended Whitfield for his US trip, which he said was not a government one. 'He went to a party function—there were no meetings at the White House or anything of that nature. He was there as a member of the DA. It was a party-funded trip, not paid for by the government, and despite repeated follow-ups, he has never received a response.' The DA would submit a name to replace Whitfield as deputy minister, Steenhuisen added. 'It is a DA decision, and once again, the fact that we have six ministers and six deputy ministers in the GNU shows how we are committed to South Africa.'
Daily Maverick
4 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
DA withdraws from National Dialogue, will vote against budgets of ‘corruption accused' ANC ministers
The DA will oppose the budget votes of 'corruption accused ANC ministers' – including Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane and Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane. The DA is not leaving the Government of National Unity (GNU), but it will not participate in the looming National Dialogue, following the axing of its Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Andrew Whitfield. 'Frankly, the President cannot even dialogue meaningfully with his own coalition partners, so there is little point in pretending there is any substance to an ANC-run National Dialogue,' DA leader John Steenhuisen said at a press conference in Cape Town on Saturday, 28 June. 'Effective immediately, the DA will therefore have no further part in this process. 'We will also actively mobilise against it to stop this obscene waste of R740-million – starting with a call on civil society to join us in demanding that the National Dialogue not proceed until President [Cyril] Ramaphosa fires ANC corruption accused and other delinquents from the executive,' Steenhuisen continued. Earlier this month, Ramaphosa announced the appointment of 31 prominent South Africans to lead the National Dialogue expected to take place on 15 August this year. The initiative – meant to tackle a wide range of South Africa's pressing issues including unemployment, poor governance and gender-based violence – was met with immediate opposition owing largely to its R740-million price tag. Steenhuisen announced the decision of the DA's Federal Executive (FedEx) after Ramaphosa removed Whitfield from his position on Wednesday, 25 June, providing no reason for his dismissal. Whitfield's removal, it later emerged, was apparently due to an 'unauthorised' trip he took to the US for the DA in February this year. On Thursday, Steenhuisen gave the president an ' ultimatum ' to clean house of the ANC ministers and deputy ministers implicated in corruption within 48 hours or face 'grave consequences'. He accused Ramaphosa of a 'flagrant double standard' and had specifically called on him to remove Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane, Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane and Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation David Mahlobo from his Executive. The political developments surrounding South Africa's fragile coalition government, caused Ramaphosa to cancel his trip to Seville, Spain, on 30 June, to attend a conference on financing for development. He instead delegated International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola to attend. 'President Ramaphosa has delegated Minister Lamola as the Head of Delegation for the Summit following recent political developments that require close monitoring and management in the country,' his office said in a statement on Saturday. According to a Sunday Times report earlier on Saturday, the DA was said to be considering leaving the GNU. In response to questions from reporters on why the party has decided to remain in the coalition government, Steenhuisen said the DA did not believe that it was 'in the interest of South Africa for the current GNU to collapse'. He said that if the GNU were to break, it would cause 'significant economic damage' to the country. Steenhuisen said the country 'benefits' from having the DA in the GNU. 'A more impactful way would not have been to leave the Government of National Unity, because that would've opened South Africa up to the coalition of chaos and destruction, and would have led very clearly to more disastrous consequences for South Africa,' he said. Steenhuisen threw the ball back into Ramaphosa's court, saying it was up to the ANC whether they wanted to kick the DA out of the national coalition. 'The ball is in the President's court and the ANC's court – if they want to take a strong stance against us and want to stop us [from] standing against corruption, well, they must fire us from the Government of National Unity,' he said. DA to vote against budget votes In addition to mobilising against the National Dialogue, Steenhuisen said the DA would also be voting against the individual budget votes for Simelane and Nkabane's departments. ' A second, critically important step that the DA is taking, is to vote against upcoming departmental budget votes for the departments headed by Simelane, Nkabane, and other corruption accused ANC ministers. 'We will keep voting against those departmental votes until those ministers are removed. 'In this way, the DA will strike the appropriate balance by allowing the broader GNU budget process to proceed to ensure the stability of the country, while forcing the ANC to act against specific ministers. 'If the ANC wants our support for those departmental budgets, they must replace the incumbent ministers with alternatives that meet the very standard the President has set for himself through Whitfield's axing,' said Steenhuisen. He said that the ministers in those portfolios would need to source other ways of getting their budgets passed in Parliament. 'We won't be voting against the globular budget and, I think, that is a result of the fact that we want to ensure that delivery proceeds for the people of South Africa. But those individual budget votes where ministers are severely compromised and sitting at the top of those departments, will obviously have to find other ways to get those budgets passed,' he said. Steenhuisen added that the party's Federal Executive had also considered tabling a motion of no confidence in Ramaphosa. However, he said the DA understood the concerns of many South Africans if Ramaphosa were removed as President. 'While the FedEx decided not to table a Motion of No Confidence at this stage, it is clear that the DA is in the process of losing confidence in his ability to act as a leader not of the ANC, but of the GNU of which we are the second-largest component,' said Steenhuisen. 'If the ANC fails to course-correct, the FedEx will seriously consider exercising our constitutional prerogative by tabling a motion of no confidence.' He mentioned, on several occasions, that the GNU Statement of Intent had been undermined by Ramaphosa and the ANC. 'I think the intent of the Statement of Intent is correct, but it would be great if that was being honored. It is being repeatedly violated. It says a lot about where we're at that a year later, we still have a conflict resolution mechanism; that the Clearing House in the GNU has no terms of reference,' he said. Steenhuisen said that Ramaphosa had not afforded him the opportunity to inform Whitfield himself about what was expected to happen before he received a letter from Ramaphosa alerting him of his removal. 'That is not respectful and that is not right,' he said, suggesting that certain clauses relating to consultation and consensus in the Statement of Intent were violated. 'The Statement of Intent needs to be respected in both letter and spirit,' he said. A replacement for Whitfield Steenhuisen did not provide any names for Whitfield's replacement, saying that the decision was with the party's FedEx. 'We will be submitting a replacement name, and that will obviously be a matter for our Federal Executive to take through the process. It is a DA position, and once again, the fact that we got six ministers and six deputy ministers, is also another example of how we put South Africa first. We, proportionately, are entitled to a lot more than that, and yet it is another matter we had to swallow at that particular time to make sure we got a GNU that worked,' he said. DM
The South African
4 hours ago
- The South African
'Chiefs pay a lot of money for players, sir'
Kaizer Chiefs' marketing director, Jessica Motaung, has dismissed claims that the club is unwilling to invest in players. In recent years, Amakhosi has often refrained from making significant expenditures and has, at times, signed free agents. The club has been linked to players like Percy Tau and Sipho Mbule, who have both previously left their respective clubs. During the launch of the Toyota Cup, Motaung emphasised that the club is prepared to spend money on acquiring players. 'Chiefs pay a lot of money, sir. So, I'm actually quite surprised, so I think it is absolute nonsense. If I look at our budgets and I look at the investments we are making into players and the transfer space,' she said. Motaung hinted that some clubs were unfair in terms of pricing their players, making it difficult for Chiefs and other big teams. 'I also think the South African market needs to evaluate itself. Are the negotiations fair? Are the prices people are asking for players fair? We have to look at our industry but we have certainly made sure and you can see from our investments in the last season. Not only in the players but in the technical team,' she said. Amakhosi are yet to announce any signings; however, they have already parted ways with five players. Next month, the team will travel to the Netherlands, where they will have their pre-season camp. Motaung confirmed that Chiefs will announce new players in the coming weeks. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
