Solidarity calls for task team to be sent to US amid pending tariffs
Trade union Solidarity, in a media release, says it is prepared to be part of a South African task team that would be able to urgently intervene to broker a trade agreement with the US before the 30% tariff on South African products exported to the US comes into effect from August 1.
In a letter to Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau, Solidarity proposes that a task team comprising stakeholders other than politicians be appointed urgently to negotiate with the US.
“South Africa has a very short window to try and avert severe economic damage; however, swift and decisive action will be needed. Solidarity urges you to handle the matter of brokering a trade deal with the utmost urgency.
"However, it is clear that the African National Congress-led government alone is not capable of successfully brokering a trade deal with the United States of America,” Solidarity CEO Dirk Hermann writes to Tau.
The trade union expresses that just over two weeks are left before the US imposes the import tariff on South Africa following months during which it says politicians in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government “have failed in critical negotiations”.
“Unless an urgent intervention is provided, South Africa will pay a heavy price, especially in the agricultural and vehicle manufacturing sectors,” it warns.
Solidarity says up to 275 000 South Africans could lose their jobs unless action, characterised by wisdom and urgency, is taken immediately.
Comments
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
Tractor & Grader Supplies (TGS™): Your Trusted, Genuine Source for New Replacement Parts for Earthmoving, Construction and Mining Machinery
VISIT SHOWROOM
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
