Ramaphosa signals breakthrough in US trade talks

Key topics:Ramaphosa optimistic on US trade deal, no clear timeframe givenSouth Africa seeks relief from US tariffs on cars and citrus exportsTalks with Switzerland aim to modernise free-trade agreement, progress ongoing.Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here..By Bastian Benrath-Wright.South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said that negotiations for a trade deal with the US were ongoing and voiced optimism for an agreement, without providing a clear timeframe.“We are looking forward to concluding an agreement fairly soon, and soon could be tomorrow, next week, next month,” he told reporters in Bern on Wednesday during a state visit to Switzerland. “Timeframes, when you deal with governments, always shift.”.South Africa is seeking to alleviate hefty tariffs which President Donald Trump slapped on its exports to the US in August, potentially risking thousands of jobs in the automobile and citrus fruit sectors in Africa’s most industrialized economy..Read more:.South Africa said to prefer bilateral US trade deal over AGOA.Ramaphosa, who was joined in the joint press conference by his Swiss counterpart Karin Keller-Sutter, said that negotiations with the US were now “based on text,” which he characterized as progress toward getting an agreement nailed down.Switzerland shares a similar fate with a 39% tariff on most of its exports to America. Despite ongoing efforts of Swiss officials, a deal to secure a lower levy has so far proved elusive.Ramaphosa was asked if he had any advice for his host in how to approach dealings with the US president, who ambushed him with false claims that his government is perpetuating a genocide against White South African farmers during a visit to the White House in May.“We share notes,“ Ramaphosa said. “We share best practice.”On the Swiss negotiations with Trump, Keller-Sutter said that while talks go on, “in the end the US president decides. So maybe it just needs some more patience.”Switzerland and South Africa earlier reaffirmed their intention to advance negotiations on modernising an existing free-trade agreement between the Southern African Customs Union and the European Free Trade Association, according to a statement.“We are hoping for rapid progress,” Keller-Sutter told the reporters.South Africa’s bilateral trade with Switzerland is worth about 6.25 billion Swiss francs ($7.8 billion), according to the government in Bern, with much of this comprising exports of gold to the Alpine nation, as well as platinum, wine, fruit and nuts.South Africa mainly imports pharmaceuticals, machinery and watches from Switzerland.Ramaphosa’s Swiss visit follows directly from a three-nation tour through Southeast Asia to attend a summit in Malaysia..© 2025 Bloomberg L.P.

Ramaphosa signals breakthrough in US trade talks

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