South Africa’s ambassador to the US says Washington has repeatedly rejected Pretoria’s trade offers without explaining what it wants instead.
asserted
it → say → what
His complaint comes a day after President Cyril Ramaphosa told South Africans to brace for losing duty-free access under the African Growth and Opportunity Act.
asserted
Ramaphosa → come → Act
“It’s not helpful when we hear the answer is, ‘that’s not good enough,’” Roelf Meyer told Semafor.
asserted
Meyer → ’ → Semafor
“It would have been more helpful if we could hear, ‘what is not good enough?’”
uncertain
what → hear → ?
The US Congress extended AGOA to 2028 last month, but the White House reviews country eligibility every year.
asserted
House → extend → eligibility
Removing South Africa from Jan. 1 would require notice to Congress and Pretoria 60 days ahead, so a decision is expected by early November.
asserted
decision → remove → November
That scenario has become a distinct possibility after nearly two years of a worsening relationship between Washington and Africa’s largest economy.
asserted
scenario → become → Washington
Meyer, who took up the post this year after more than a year without a South African ambassador in Washington, describes relations with the Trump administration as a “stalemate.”
asserted
who → take → stalemate
“I’m not satisfied about where we find ourselves,” he said.
asserted
he → find → ourselves
The deeper rift, he suggested, is ideological.
uncertain
he → suggest → ?
Meyer said he read the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 early and saw a “deviation” from the Republican Party he knew in the 1980s.
asserted
he → say → 1980s
Asked why Pretoria’s rebuttals of white genocide claims aren’t landing, he said either Washington hasn’t heard him clearly, or there is “a fundamental ideological difference.”
uncertain
Washington → ask → him
Meyer helped lead the apartheid government’s side opposite Ramaphosa in the talks that ended white minority rule.
asserted
that → lead → rule
He says those negotiations worked because both sides were prepared to talk.
asserted
sides → say → ?
“That is my experience, the difference here,” he said.
asserted
he → say → ?
“It’s hard to find a basis for real dialogue.”
asserted
It → ’ → dialogue
Yet he also signaled flexibility on the policy irritant most cited in Washington.
asserted
he → signal → Washington
Black EconomicEmpowerment rules in mining and telecoms “still leave room for further adjustments,” he said, adding that discussions are underway with companies looking to invest.
asserted
discussions → leave → companies
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
asserted
interview → edit → clarity
President Cyril Ramaphosa warned South Africans to prepare for the possibility that the country could lose its AGOA trade benefits.
uncertain
country → warn → benefits
How confident are you that South Africa will remain eligible?
asserted
Africa → remain → ?
It is difficult to say because we have not had a clear response on AGOA and the eligibility question.
asserted
we → say → AGOA
There is a lot of speculation about the final result, and I don’t think it serves any purpose to add to that.
asserted
it → be → that
From the South African side, we believe we have given clear enough answers.
asserted
we → believe → answers
We would like an opportunity to hear where the shortcomings are in the US assessment.
asserted
shortcomings → like → assessment
It is not helpful when the answer is simply, “That’s not good enough.”
asserted
That → ’ → ?
We need to know what is not good enough so we can address it from a negotiating perspective.
asserted
we → need → perspective
I think the president is being realistic, so nobody is completely surprised if things go in the wrong direction.
asserted
things → think → direction
But he is also mindful that it would be better if we could stay in.
uncertain
we → stay → ?
There are difficult issues on which South Africa cannot simply agree with everything the US is asking.
asserted
US → be → everything
We have local interests to consider, particularly in the poultry and pork industries.
asserted
We → have → industries
These are longstanding, technical issues involving imports and exports.
asserted
These → involve → imports
Local producers react when imports affect their production or export potential, and experts from our respective departments have been negotiating with them for an extended period.
asserted
experts → react → period
The US government has raised a number of concerns about South Africa over the past 18 months, and those weigh on the discussions too.
asserted
those → raise → discussions
How much of your time is spent on those political disputes, as opposed to trade and investment?
asserted
much → spend → trade
I think it is 50-50.
asserted
it → think → ?
The political relationship has been tense since the executive order on South Africa in February last year, which covered a number of issues and led to the five asks or demands.
asserted
which → cover → asks
It is about how we keep trade going and expand it.
asserted
we → keep → it
Do you think the tensions will ease, or have the problems become more entrenched?
asserted
problems → think → ?
It is difficult to say.
asserted
It → say → ?
…and 41 more, not listed.
The Aporia
