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SA-US relations at a crossroad
Despite ties with Russia and China, South Africa remains the largest trading partner with the United States on the continent.
That relationship has come under strain in recent months, with South Africa’s participation in the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) up for renewal next year.
South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has also been a source of contention.
In May, the US House of Representatives passed the US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review bill, which requires the Biden administration to fully review SA relations with the US.
The bill states: “The [African National Congress’] foreign policy actions have long ceased to reflect its stated stance of non-alignment, and now directly favour [China], the Russian Federation and Hamas, a known proxy of Iran, and thereby undermines United States national security and foreign policy interests.”
It needs to pass in the Senate and be signed into law by the US president before it becomes law.
This week, a delegation from the trade, industry and competition department, including the minister, Parks Tau, was in Washington to shore up support against the legislation.
Signs of strain in the relationship between the US and SA were first revealed when the US and European governments pushed South Africa to oppose Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. South Africa, however, maintained it was non-aligned. Things came to a head in December 2022 when a US-sanctioned Russian cargo ship, Lady R, was allowed to dock in the Simon’s Town naval base.
Tau’s push to win over US officials would have been a huge uphill battle, as political developments in the US took the front seat.
The focus is firmly on what is likely to happen in November when Republican nominee Donald Trump takes on the Democrats for the presidency.
While the Democrats will only officially confirm their candidate in August during their convention, the favourite is Kamala Harris after US President Joe Biden withdrew from the race on Sunday and endorsed her.
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In this week’s Friday Briefing, author John Matisonn examines what a Trump vs Harris win will mean for trade and economic relations with South Africa.
We also have a submission from Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Alvin Botes, who reflects on the US-SA bill, writing that singling out South Africa for its relations with certain countries is offensive and unfair.
In light of South Africa’s case at the ICJ, we have included a view from Andrew Payne, who is with the University of London. Payne considers Harris’ stance on Israel and how it differs from Biden’s, and what that could mean for her campaign if she is confirmed as the next Democratic nominee.
We hope you enjoy reading the submissions.
Best,
Vanessa Banton
Opinions editor.
Harris, Trump and SA’s trade future
The US election will be decided by how Donald Trump and Kamala Harris perform in the next 100 days – and that decision will likely determine whether South Africa has an easy time or a tough one, writes John Matisonn.
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