South Africa’s citrus industry is bracing for major losses following new U.S. tariffs that growers say could threaten up to 35,000 jobs.
The warning comes days after President Donald Trump imposed a 31% tariff on imports from South Africa as part of a broader package that includes a 10% baseline tariff on all imports and steeper duties on dozens of countries.
The Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA) said the new tariff adds $4.50 to every carton exported to the U.S., a cost that risks pricing South African fruit out of the market. The country is the world’s second-largest citrus exporter after Spain and ships 5–6% of its crop to the United States, earning over $100 million annually.
“Communities like Citrusdal, which rely heavily on U.S. exports, now face a real risk of rising unemployment or even total economic collapse,” said CGA chairperson Gerrit van der Merwe. “There is immense anxiety in our communities.”
With the citrus harvest bound for the U.S. now being packed, growers are urging the South African government to launch immediate negotiations with Washington for tariff relief or exemptions.
South Africa has ruled out retaliation, opting instead to seek a diplomatic solution. The U.S. is its second-largest bilateral trading partner after China.
Officials also criticized the tariffs as undermining the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a 25-year-old U.S. trade initiative offering eligible African nations duty-free access to U.S. markets. AGOA is set to expire in September.
