Chinese exports to South Africa rose 29% year on year in the first eight months of 2026, adding to competitive pressure on local manufacturers as suppliers sought alternative markets amid higher US trade barriers.
The value of shipments had more than doubled compared with the corresponding period in 2020, Bloomberg reported.
Five new applications for relief from imports were under investigation, the International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC) told Bloomberg. The sectors involved included gypsum plasterboard, polyethylene terephthalate, used in beverage containers, and cold-rolled steel.
The caseload relating to increased imports had generally grown, partly because of imports from East Asia, including China, ITAC said.
Domestic manufacturers faced price competition alongside high energy costs, infrastructure constraints and weak demand, Bloomberg reported.
China accounted for 35.7% of South Africa’s manufactured imports in the Reserve Bank’s latest trade-weight revision, while receiving only about 5.9% of manufactured exports, according to the bank’s October 8 analysis.
Several trade-remedy investigations are already under way. ITAC launched an investigation into Chinese and Saudi plasterboard imports in August, following an application by Saint-Gobain Construction Products South Africa.
Anti-dumping and safeguard investigations into cold-rolled steel were initiated in July following applications by ArcelorMittal South Africa.
