More GOOD than bad news for SA motorists after Donald Trump’s tariffs
While the overwhelming opinion was that Donald Trump's 30% trade tariffs imposed on SA spelled 'concern', there was some good news ...
While the overwhelming opinion was that US President Donald Trump’s 30% trade tariffs imposed on SA imports into America spelled ‘concern’, there was some good news as the brent crude price dropped.
Trump on Wednesday announced a global 10% tariff on all imports – and higher rates for a numbers of what was termed ‘worst offenders’.
One of those countries on the ‘worst offenders’ list was South Africa.
‘Reciprocal tariff structure’
According to Bloomberg, Trump said that the United States would implement the long-talked-about reciprocal tariff structure to balance trade and put America first.
He said that countries around the world were exploiting trade with the United States and “cheating” by running massive surpluses while imposing steep tariffs and ‘hidden’ tariffs through VAT and other measures.
While Trump initially discussed fully reciprocal tariffs before the announcement, he said the United States would be kind and implement “discounted” rates.
By way of an example, while Trump claimed China is imposing tariffs of 67% on the US, the US would charge a “discounted” rate of only 34%.
For South Africa, Trump claimed that the tariffs on the United States amounted to 60%. In turn, it will implement a “discounted” 30% tariff on the country.
“A lot of bad things are happening in South Africa,” Trump said.
“We send them billions of dollars but we had to cut their funding because bad things are happening.”
Trump said that if any country wished to be exempt from the tariffs, it would simply have to move its production to the United States.
The president also announced a global 25% tariff on all imported vehicles, which took effect from midnight in the United States.
The reciprocal tariffs will come into effect on Wednesday, 9 April, with the 10% tariff kicking in earlier on Saturday, 5 April.
RELATED | Zimbabwe ‘escapes’ crippling Donald Trump trade tariffs
In terms of southern African countries, although above the ‘average’, Zimbabwe didn’t fare too badly at 18%.
South Africa (30%), Lesotho (50%), Namibia (21%) and Botswana (37%) all had more severe tariffs implemented.
ALSO | Donald Trump hits ‘country nobody’s heard of’ Lesotho with 50% tariffs
Oil price tumbles
Global oil prices tanked on Friday, extending a rout as investors fret over the impact of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs onslaught.
Crude oil prices fell more than six percent, with Brent North Sea, the international benchmark, reaching $65.04 per barrel after already hitting the lowest level since December 2021.
That potentially means good news for fuel prices in May.
The fuel price in South Africa is impacted by two main factors:
1. The international price of petroleum products, driven mainly by oil prices
2. The rand/dollar exchange rate used in the purchase of these products
However, while the former has improved, the latter has worsened in the last 24 hours.
As reported by The South African website, earlier this week South Africa’s motorists saw a sizeable decrease in the price of both petrol and diesel.
Rand crashes
The rand plummeted following the announcement and is currently trading at R19.09/$ at the time of publishing.
While the oil price is at its lowest in over three years, that isn’t a record low for the rand-dollar exchange rate.
According to yesterday’s Central Energy Fund data, petrol prices are showing an under-recovery of between 9 and 15 cents per litre, while diesel is still in positive territory with an over-recovery of between 26 and 28 cents per litre.
- Petrol 93: increase of 15 cents per litre
- Petrol 95: increase of 9 cents per litre
- Diesel 0.05% (wholesale): decrease of 26 cents per litre
- Diesel 0.005% (wholesale): decrease of 28 cents per litre
- Illuminating paraffin: decrease of 16 cents per litre
Here are Donald Trump’s US Reciprocal Tariffs by country/region:
| Country/Region | Country/Region Tariff* | US Reciprocal Tariffs |
|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 49% | 10% |
| Albania | 10% | 10% |
| Algeria | 59% | 30% |
| Andorra | 10% | 10% |
| Angola | 63% | 32% |
| Anguilla | 10% | 10% |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 10% | 10% |
| Argentina | 10% | 10% |
| Armenia | 10% | 10% |
| Aruba | 10% | 10% |
| Australia | 10% | 10% |
| Azerbaijan | 10% | 10% |
| Bahamas | 10% | 10% |
| Bahrain | 10% | 10% |
| Bangladesh | 74% | 37% |
| Barbados | 10% | 10% |
| Belize | 10% | 10% |
| Benin | 10% | 10% |
| Bermuda | 10% | 10% |
| Bhutan | 10% | 10% |
| Bolivia | 20% | 10% |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 70% | 35% |
| Botswana | 74% | 37% |
| Brazil | 10% | 10% |
| British Indian Ocean Territory | 10% | 10% |
| British Virgin Islands | 10% | 10% |
| Brunei | 47% | 24% |
| Burma | 88% | 44% |
| Burundi | 10% | 10% |
| Cabo Verde | 10% | 10% |
| Cambodia | 97% | 49% |
| Cameroon | 22% | 11% |
| Cayman Islands | 10% | 10% |
| Central African Republic | 10% | 10% |
| Chad | 26% | 13% |
| Chile | 10% | 10% |
| China | 67% | 34% |
| Christmas Island | 10% | 10% |
| Cocos (Keeling) Islands | 10% | 10% |
| Colombia | 10% | 10% |
| Comoros | 10% | 10% |
| Congo (Brazzaville) | 10% | 10% |
| Congo (Kinshasa) | 22% | 11% |
| Cook Islands | 10% | 10% |
| Costa Rica | 17% | 10% |
| Cote d’Ivoire | 41% | 21% |
| Curacao | 10% | 10% |
| Djibouti | 10% | 10% |
| Dominica | 10% | 10% |
| Dominican Republic | 10% | 10% |
| Ecuador | 12% | 10% |
| Egypt | 10% | 10% |
| El Salvador | 10% | 10% |
| Equatorial Guinea | 25% | 13% |
| Eritrea | 10% | 10% |
| Eswatini | 10% | 10% |
| Ethiopia | 10% | 10% |
| EU | 39% | 20% |
| Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) | 82% | 41% |
| Fiji | 63% | 32% |
| French Guiana | 10% | 10% |
| French Polynesia | 10% | 10% |
| Gabon | 10% | 10% |
| Gambia | 10% | 10% |
| Georgia | 10% | 10% |
| Ghana | 17% | 10% |
| Gibraltar | 10% | 10% |
| Grenada | 10% | 10% |
| Guadeloupe | 10% | 10% |
| Guatemala | 10% | 10% |
| Guinea | 10% | 10% |
| Guinea-Bissau | 10% | 10% |
| Guyana | 76% | 38% |
| Haiti | 10% | 10% |
| Heard and McDonald Islands | 10% | 10% |
| Honduras | 10% | 10% |
| Iceland | 10% | 10% |
| India | 52% | 26% |
| Indonesia | 64% | 32% |
| Iran | 10% | 10% |
| Iraq | 78% | 39% |
| Israel | 33% | 17% |
| Jamaica | 10% | 10% |
| Japan | 46% | 24% |
| Jordan | 40% | 20% |
| Kazakhstan | 54% | 27% |
| Kenya | 10% | 10% |
| Kiribati | 10% | 10% |
| Kosovo | 10% | 10% |
| Kuwait | 10% | 10% |
| Kyrgyzstan | 10% | 10% |
| Laos | 95% | 48% |
| Lebanon | 10% | 10% |
| Lesotho | 99% | 50% |
| Liberia | 10% | 10% |
| Libya | 61% | 31% |
| Liechtenstein | 73% | 37% |
| Madagascar | 93% | 47% |
| Malawi | 34% | 17% |
| Malaysia | 47% | 24% |
| Maldives | 10% | 10% |
| Mali | 10% | 10% |
| Marshall Islands | 10% | 10% |
| Martinique | 10% | 10% |
| Mauritania | 10% | 10% |
| Mauritius | 80% | 40% |
| Mayotte | 10% | 10% |
| Micronesia | 10% | 10% |
| Moldova | 61% | 31% |
| Monaco | 10% | 10% |
| Mongolia | 10% | 10% |
| Montenegro | 10% | 10% |
| Montserrat | 10% | 10% |
| Morocco | 10% | 10% |
| Mozambique | 31% | 16% |
| Namibia | 42% | 21% |
| Nauru | 59% | 30% |
| Nepal | 10% | 10% |
| New Zealand | 20% | 10% |
| Nicaragua | 36% | 18% |
| Niger | 10% | 10% |
| Nigeria | 27% | 14% |
| Norfolk Island | 58% | 29% |
| North Macedonia | 65% | 33% |
| Norway | 30% | 15% |
| Oman | 10% | 10% |
| Pakistan | 58% | 29% |
| Panama | 10% | 10% |
| Papua New Guinea | 15% | 10% |
| Paraguay | 10% | 10% |
| Peru | 10% | 10% |
| Philippines | 34% | 17% |
| Qatar | 10% | 10% |
| Reunion | 73% | 37% |
| Rwanda | 10% | 10% |
| Saint Elena | 15% | 10% |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 10% | 10% |
| Saint Lucia | 10% | 10% |
| Saint Pierre and Miquelon | 99% | 50% |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 10% | 10% |
| Samoa | 10% | 10% |
| San Marino | 10% | 10% |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | 10% | 10% |
| Saudi Arabia | 10% | 10% |
| Senegal | 10% | 10% |
| Serbia | 74% | 37% |
| Sierra Leone | 10% | 10% |
| Singapore | 10% | 10% |
| Sint Maarten | 10% | 10% |
| Solomon Islands | 10% | 10% |
| South Africa | 60% | 30% |
| South Korea | 50% | 25% |
| South Sudan | 10% | 10% |
| Sri Lanka | 88% | 44% |
| Sudan | 10% | 10% |
| Suriname | 10% | 10% |
| Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 10% | 10% |
| Switzerland | 61% | 31% |
| Syria | 81% | 41% |
| Taiwan | 64% | 32% |
| Tajikistan | 10% | 10% |
| Tanzania | 10% | 10% |
| Thailand | 72% | 36% |
| Timor-Leste | 10% | 10% |
| Togo | 10% | 10% |
| Tokelau | 10% | 10% |
| Tonga | 10% | 10% |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 12% | 10% |
| Tunisia | 55% | 28% |
| Turkey | 10% | 10% |
| Turkmenistan | 10% | 10% |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | 10% | 10% |
| Tuvalu | 10% | 10% |
| Uganda | 20% | 10% |
| Ukraine | 10% | 10% |
| United Arab Emirates | 10% | 10% |
| United Kingdom | 10% | 10% |
| Uruguay | 10% | 10% |
| Uzbekistan | 10% | 10% |
| Vanuatu | 44% | 22% |
| Venezuela | 29% | 15% |
| Vietnam | 90% | 46% |
| Yemen | 10% | 10% |
| Zambia | 33% | 17% |
| Zimbabwe | 35% | 18% |
How concerned are you about these SA tariffs?
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