Versions :<1234567Live>
Snapshot 5:Fri, Feb 6, 2026 7:42:46 AM GMT last edited by Kani

South Africa Signs Trade Deal With China Amid US Tariffs

South Africa Signs Trade Deal With China Amid US Tariffs

Image credit: 

The Spin

ChinaSouth Africa's zero-tarifftrade policydeal forwith AfricaChina masksdelivers acrucial deepeningduty-free exploitationmarket thataccess keepsand theinvestment continentopportunities trappedprecisely aswhen aTrump's rawpunitive materialstariffs supplier.threaten Despitethousands Beijing'sof promises,jobs. AfricanThe exportsagreement remainprovides concentrateda instable low-valueeconomic mineralspartnership whileduring importsa fromperiod Chinawhen surgeWashington faster,has creatingabandoned areliable $60trade billionrelations, deficitexcluded thatSouth widensAfrica yearly.from Thethe policyG20, won'tand drivelaunched industrializationbaseless oraccusations structuralagainst transformationPretoria. Diversifying ittoward simplyChina reinforcesand Africa'snon-Western subordinatemarkets positionrepresents insmart globaleconomic supplypolicy chainsthat unlessreduces paireddangerous withover-reliance genuineon capacityan buildingincreasingly andhostile infrastructureUnited investmentStates.

South AfricaChina's tradezero-tariff dealpolicy withfor ChinaAfrica deliversmasks cruciala duty-freedeepening marketexploitation accessthat andkeeps investmentthe opportunitiescontinent preciselytrapped whenas Trump'sa punitiveraw 30%materials tariffssupplier. threatenDespite thousandsBeijing's ofpromises, jobs.African Theexports agreementremain providesconcentrated stablein economiclow-value partnershipminerals duringwhile aimports periodfrom whenChina Washingtonsurge hasfaster, abandonedcreating reliablea trade$60 relations,billion excludeddeficit Souththat Africawidens fromyearly. theThe G20,policy andwon't launcheddrive baselessindustrialization accusationsor againststructural Pretoria.transformation Diversifying towardit Chinasimply andreinforces non-WesternAfrica's marketssubordinate representsposition smartin economicglobal policysupply thatchains reducesunless dangerouspaired over-reliancewith ongenuine ancapacity increasinglybuilding hostileand Unitedinfrastructure Statesinvestment.

Metaculus Prediction

There is an 8% chance that South Africa will experience a civil war before 2036, according to the Metaculus prediction community.


Articles on this story



© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.18.0

© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.

All rights reserved.

Version 6.18.0