Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau has held talks with United States Trade Representative, Ambassador Jamieson Greer, in Washington DC, as part of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s directive to strengthen economic ties with South Africa’s key trade partner.
The meeting, which followed three days of technical discussions between senior officials from both sides, focused on priority issues in the bilateral trade relationship.
Tau and Greer agreed on a roadmap to guide future engagements towards concluding ongoing processes.
“I will be briefing President Cyril Ramaphosa on the outcomes of the discussions and will then engage various stakeholders,” Tau said after the meeting.
The Minister remains in the US this week to support President Ramaphosa in trade-related engagements with American stakeholders, including members of Congress. President Ramaphosa will lead the South African delegation to the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York from 23 - 29 September.
READ | President Ramaphosa to lead SA delegation to UNGA80
The United States is South Africa’s second-largest trading partner, with total trade reaching US$15.1 billion in 2024. South Africa exported goods worth US$8.2 billion to the US last year, while imports from the US stood at US$6.9 billion. More than 600 US companies operate in South Africa, while over 22 South African firms are based in the US. — SAnews.gov.za
