Faced with huge tariffs, South Africa plans to increase trade with India

South Africa is looking at expanding its trade with India and China as it faces the prospect of a 30 per cent tariff imposition by US President Donald Trump, Deputy President Paul Mashatile said on Monday.

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“The geopolitics at the moment really requires that we should be engaging other nations as well. We know that we are one of the US’s biggest trading partners, but there is nothing that says that we should not intensify our trade relations with India, China and other countries,” Mashatile told a gathering of business and community leaders.

He was speaking at the The Indian foundation breakfast hosted by the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, named after the late Indian origin freedom activist who served one less year than the 27 Sol Plaatje Mandela as a political prisoner or of the minority white apart heid government.

Mashatile also commented on South Africa’s G20 presidency this year as an opportunity to benefit the entire continent.

“Solidarity for us is very important. We would like the G20 to make sure that for our presidency, we can really work and say we were able to give not only to South Africa but to the continent.