South Africa will keep talking to the United States about the 12.5% tariff now charged on SA exports, Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau said on Monday.

The US Trade Representative (USTR) imposed tariffs on products from 60 countries following investigations into whether each country properly bans imports made with forced labour.

South Africa is among 41 countries the USTR claims do not have laws to stop forced labour imports or do not enforce them properly. These countries face a 12.5% tariff. The other 19 countries, which the US says do have forced labour laws, will pay a 10% tariff.

However, products already hit with earlier US tariffs under Section 232 – such as cars, car parts, steel and aluminium – will not face this new tariff.

The USTR also published exemption lists in Annex I and Annex II of the Federal Register.

Several key South African exports made the exemption list, including macadamia nuts, oranges, limes, tea, spices, seeds, cane sugar, orange and lime juice, syrups, chemicals, critical minerals, platinum-group and precious metals, isotopes, civil aircraft parts and pharmaceuticals.

The decision came after the South African government, organised labour and private businesses made written submissions to the US. South African officials also held extensive talks with the USTR office in May 2026 and testified at a public hearing held by the US Section 301 Committee earlier this month.

Tau said South Africa will soon publish a government gazette asking for public comments on plans to create regulations that would ban goods made with forced labour or child labour.

“Government will continue to engage with the USTR on the Section 301 tariffs with a view to either eliminating or reducing the current tariff imposed on our country,” Tau said.

ALSO READ: Trump hikes US global tariff rate to 15%: South African exporters brace for deeper trade crisis