India is SA’s top supplier of passenger vehicles

South Africa’s imports from the United States were on a value decline at the time President Trump slapped his 30% tariff on SA’s exports. According to United Nations Comtrade statistics, the value of US imports peaked in 2023 at $9.2 billion, falling to $6.98bn in 2024. In August, the Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition was told that South Africa was the largest importer of goods from the United States in sub-Saharan Africa. During 2023, the top exports from the United States to South Africa were machinery, nuclear reactors and boilers ($1.33bn), mineral fuels, oils and distillation products ($1.06bn), and vehicles, other than railway, tramway ($535m). Leading in value was Oman, with imports reaching $2.97bn in 2024, up from $2.56bn in 2023. The main categories are mineral fuels, oils, distillation products ($2.82bn), fertilisers ($63m), and inorganic chemicals, precious metal compounds and isotopes ($39m). India was the third-largest exporter to South Africa, valued at $7.32bn in 2024, down from a peak of $8.33bn in 2022. According to the automotive business council Naamsa, India was the top supplier of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles in 2024, landing 173 742 vehicles, or 57% of all light vehicle imports. China was second at 17%. The main import gateway was Durban, which handled $94bn in petroleum, vehicles, crude oil, commodities not elsewhere specified and large construction vehicles. The main sources of imports through Durban are China, India, Oman, United Arab Emirates and Germany. Next was OR Tambo International Airport, with imports valued at $297bn. The top imports were telephones (R43bn), computers (R26.4bn), gold (R20.6bn), packaged medicaments (R14.4bn) and diamonds (R10.3bn). This year, the main suppliers through the airport are China, United States, Germany, Namibia and Vietnam, in order of value. In July, the main imports from Namibia were gold (R1.52bn), sheep and goats (R63.1m) and diamonds (R51.5m). Cape Town was the third- largest import gateway in terms of value, at $177bn. The main imports were crude petroleum (R36.9bn), refined petroleum (R18.7bn), non- filleted frozen fish (R2.07bn), semiconductor devices (R1.94bn) and electric heaters (R1.9bn). China, India, the US and Nigeria are among the top countries routing exports through Cape Town. Fourth was Port Elizabeth, at $145bn worth of imports. ER