Exporters Western Cape (EWC) has called for urgent high-level intervention to stabilise South Africa’s relations with the United States, warning that further deterioration could put established export business at risk.
In a statement issued on October 6, EWC Chairman Terry Gale said escalating public exchanges between International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola and US Ambassador Brent Bozell III are adding to uncertainty for exporters.
“This standoff carries an economic cost. While the diplomatic confrontation continues, exporters face uncertainty about a market they have spent years developing. Government must give this relationship the urgent attention it deserves. The livelihoods that depend on it cannot be an afterthought,” said Gale.
The warning comes against a backdrop of declining Western Cape exports to the US. According to figures cited by EWC, exports fell from approximately R17.31 billion in 2024 to R14.51 billion in 2025, a decline of 16.2%, or about R2.8 billion.
EWC said provincial reporting also shows that the US dropped from the Western Cape’s second-largest to fourth-largest export market.
Gale warned that continued uncertainty could make it harder for exporters to retain customers.
“Exporters spend years building a foothold in the US market. Continued uncertainty puts that work at risk and makes it harder to retain customers. Once a buyer moves to another supplier, winning that business back is no simple matter,” he said.
He called on both governments to pursue direct negotiations to protect commercial relationships despite their policy differences.
“Neither country has to agree on every policy to recognise the value of doing business with the other. But allowing disagreements to deepen without a workable resolution puts commercial relationships in jeopardy.”
While developing new markets remains essential, Gale said diversification should not become an excuse for accepting the erosion of established trade.
“Diversification takes time. Exporters cannot simply replace the US market overnight. South Africa needs to defend the business it already has while pursuing new opportunities. Further deterioration must not be treated as inevitable.”
