By Johnathan Paoli
Solidarity has announced a five-point tariff plan in response to what it calls a “broken” trade relationship between South Africa and the United States, following the imposition of a 30% US import tariff on South African goods.
Solidarity spokesperson Jaco Kleynhans on Wednesday criticised the government for its failure to protect South Africa’s economic interests, accusing the administration of neglecting urgent engagement with the US to avert the punitive tariffs, which are set to take effect early on Friday morning.
“We have seen how the African National Congress (ANC) will sacrifice the future of the country’s most vulnerable for its own preservation. The ANC’s handling of the US issue is nothing less than an act of violence against South Africa and its people,” Kleynhans said in a statement.
The move comes amid a diplomatic and economic crisis that has emerged after months of what Solidarity terms “inaction and ideological rigidity” on the part of the South African government.
Earlier this year, Solidarity and other groups tried to preserve the trade relationship with visits to Washington, but they were unsuccessful.
Kleynhans criticised the government’s appointment of Mcebisi Jonas as special envoy to the US, claiming that Jonas has not travelled to the US since his appointment in April this year.
Solidarity’s five-point tariff plan aims to provide immediate intervention and longer-term mitigation of the tariff’s economic fallout.
The plan includes urgent engagement with both the South African and American governments, with Solidarity having already requested bilateral talks with the administrations of presidents Ramaphosa and Donald Trump, as well as support mechanisms for affected workers, including job placement efforts and labour protection strategies for Solidarity members and others at risk of retrenchment.
Solidarity’s plan calls for collaborative networks, working with political parties, other trade unions and civil society to address the crisis collectively and rebuild relations with the US.
It has called for impact monitoring, through the creation of an industry barometer that will track and report on the direct consequences of the tariffs on sectors such as agriculture and automotive manufacturing.
Lastly, the union wants a new national action plan to support vulnerable industries and communities affected by the overnight tariff impact.
Solidarity warned that the 30% import tariff would trigger immediate economic consequences, including mass layoffs and possible shutdowns of export-reliant businesses.
The automotive and agricultural sectors, already under strain, are expected to be the hardest hit.
Solidarity cited findings from its Research Institute, which recommended several low-effort reforms the South African government could have implemented to prevent the fallout.
These include improved legal protection for property rights, a more decisive response to farm-related violence, the rejection of “racially inflammatory rhetoric” such as the “Kill the Boer” chant, and an exemption for US companies from Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment requirements.
The union blamed the government’s unwillingness to abandon outdated ideological positions for the deterioration of international partnerships.
Kleynhans suggested that the ANC’s reluctance to accept help from “non-aligned” organisations has directly led to the suffering now faced by ordinary South Africans.
Solidarity confirmed that it was currently in discussions with local stakeholders to establish a multi-sectoral response network.
The union plans to return to the US in the coming weeks to continue lobbying American lawmakers and business leaders for a revised agreement that will reduce or reverse the newly imposed tariffs.
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