South Africa Customs Status & U.S. Trade Treatment

At a glance

U.S. trade agreement

None

Average duty rate, August 2026

2.68%

Duty on U.S. imports

$33.2M

U.S. imports / exports

$1.3B / $606.0M a month

Agreements per the U.S. Trade Representative; customs territory per the European Commission. Duty is what the Census Bureau calculates for the month, not what was paid; a product's rate can differ widely from the country average.

Top U.S. imports from South Africa

These 5 make up 77% of U.S. imports from South Africa in the latest month.

1. Nonmonetary Gold, Semimanufactured Forms (Excluding Powder) HS 710813$530.4M
2. Platinum, Unwrought or in Powder Form HS 711011$189.6M
3. Rhodium, Unwrought or in Powder Form HS 711031$108.5M
4. Passenger Cars with Spark-Ignition Engine, Over 1,500 cc to 3,000 cc HS 870323$89.9M
5. Palladium, Unwrought or in Powder Form HS 711021$88.8M

Top U.S. exports to South Africa

These 5 make up 27% of U.S. exports to South Africa in the latest month.

1. Civilian Aircraft, Engines, Equipment, and Parts HS 880000$46.1M
2. Petroleum Oils & Bituminous Mineral Oils (Non-Crude, Non-Biodiesel) HS 271019$41.9M
3. Liquefied Butanes HS 271113$26.6M
4. Low-Value Export Shipments & Canadian Estimated Late Receipts HS 988000$24.9M
5. Gear Boxes for Motor Vehicles HS 870840$23.5M

Trade overview

South Africa is one of the most commercially significant US trade partners on the African continent, carrying USCS code 7910, and exports a diverse range of goods including platinum-group metals, ferroalloys, citrus fruit, wine, and automotive components. Platinum and related minerals make South Africa a critical supplier for US catalytic converter and industrial catalyst supply chains, while its agricultural exports — particularly citrus and wine — are subject to USDA APHIS phytosanitary requirements and FDA admissibility review. Trade professionals should monitor South Africa's eligibility status under US preference programs, as that status has been subject to periodic review.