PRETORIA
South Africa, along with other African countries, has urged the US to extend the looming 90-day deadline for finalizing a bilateral trade deal, citing the need for additional time to align it with the evolving negotiation frameworks, the Trade Ministry said Tuesday.
In a statement, the ministry cited a meeting between South Africa’s Deputy Trade Minister Zuko Godlimpi and Assistant US Trade Representative for Africa Connie Hamilton on the sidelines of the US-Africa Business Summit in the Angolan capital of Luanda last week, during which the country’s position was reiterated.
The meeting came after South Africa submitted a proposed framework deal on May 20 aimed at boosting trade and investment ties with the US, followed by a meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa and his US counterpart Donald Trump in Washington on May 21.
The deal addresses issues such as non-tariff barriers, trade deficits, and market access to promote bilateral investment, according to the statement.
Trade Minister Parks Tau urged South Africa’s industry to “exercise strategic patience and not take decisions in haste,” highlighting the government’s commitment to use “every avenue to engage the US Government to find an amicable solution to safeguard South African interests in the US market.”
