South Africa has tried for months to negotiate a deal with Washington and offered to buy U.S. liquefied natural gas and invest in American industries in exchange for a lower tariff.

South Africa’s planned investment in capital projects almost halved in the first six months of 2025 after the government and state-owned companies failed to announce any new ones.

South Africa, which has a strained relationship with President Trump, is the only African country singled out in the announcement with a 30% tariff increase on August 7.