South AfricaUS trade relations at risk

On 6 February, US congressmen John James and Jared Moskowitz introduced a bill to the US House of Representatives that seeks a review of the bilateral trade ties between the US and South Africa. It is largely believed that this bill was introduced because of South Africa taking Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for alleged genocide in Gaza. While many countries supported South Africa in its application against Israel, many others, including the US, have said that Israel is not committing genocide in Gaza and is simply responding to the terror attack of 7 October 2023, in which Hamas – which South African Foreign Affairs Minister Naledi Pandor has claimed is not a terrorist group despite many other countries’ assertion that they are indeed a terrorist group – killed 1 200 Israelis. The politics of the Israel-Hamas war are highly complex, with strong support being shown either for or against Israel’s response to the attack. While this is not the platform to debate such things, it is suffice to say that the US staunchly supports Israel and has been an ally of Israel for many, many years.

It is therefore perhaps not surprising that some representatives in the US would want to review the bilateral trade agreement with South Africa. Indeed, Africa News reported that James accused South Africa of “building ties to countries and actors that undermine [the US’s] national security and threaten [the US’s] way of life through its military and political co-operation with China and Russia and its support of US-designated terrorist organisation Hamas”.

This accusation is not untrue, with the South African government having been largely silent on Russia’s war on Ukraine. The country also refused to arrest former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir in 2015, after he had already been found guilty of genocide by the International Criminal Court.

The bill’s assertion that South Africa’s ICJ action is thus “politically motivated” is not unfounded.

South Africa has long-standing trade agreements with the US, which have benefitted the country and its exporters. According to Comtrade, South Africa exported goods worth US$8,32 billion (about R156 billion) to the US during 2023. The US is thus an important trading partner for South Africa. The US is also an important partner in terms of agricultural trade.

While the US’s significance as a trading partner should not mean that South Africa panders to the country, it would be devastating for South Africa to be removed from the African Growth and Opportunity Act and to have our bilateral trade agreements nullified because of a corrupt government that is hypocritical in its implementation of foreign policy.

It is one thing for government to truly stand by its belief that Israel is committing genocide, and therefore to stand up for the Palestinians, but it is another for government to use the Israel-Hamas war as a means to score political points.

Whether you agree with South Africa’s ICJ action or not, one thing is sure: we will all feel the impact of this at some point, particularly as the US and UK are strong supporters of Israel. I just hope that the outcome is a result of government truly being concerned over the well-being of Palestinians, and not merely an act.