JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -South African President Cyril Ramaphosa pushed back against U.S. President Donald Trump's imposition of a 30% tariff from next month, saying that it is based on an inaccurate view of the two countries' trade and that negotiations with the U.

Trump sent a letter to Ramaphosa on Monday, July 7, informing him that BRICS nation South Africa would face a 30 percent reciprocal tariff from August 1, 2025, to reflect the trade barriers he said the U.S. faces. Trump sent similar letters to 13 other countries.

The statement said the 30% reciprocal tariff is “not an accurate representation of available trade data,” which shows an average import tariff of 7.6%, with 56% of goods, including 77% of US imports entering duty-free under “most favored nation tariff.”