S. Africa - U.S. Trade Tensions Rise Kenya Watches Closely

Kenya, December 5 2025 -A fresh wave of U.S.– South Africa trade friction has resurfaced in Washington as a House committee prepares to take up the Africa Trade Engagement Act, a bill that will shape America’s next phase of economic ties with the continent.

South Africa risks being excluded from any extended benefits, a development Nairobi is quietly monitoring given Kenya's own stakes in U.S. trade renewal. United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer made unusually sharp remarks during testimony before a Senate subcommittee, signalling frustrations that have lingered since the Trump era.

“If you think that we should give South Africa different treatment, I’m open to that because I think they are a unique problem,” Greer said, hinting that the U.S. could carve out exceptions that leave Pretoria on the sidelines. Greer also pushed back on what the U.S. sees as unfair barriers to American products entering South Africa’s market.

He insisted that “South Africa needed to lower tariffs and non-tariff barriers on U.S. products in order for the U.S. to reduce its 30% duties on South African goods.” These tensions echo earlier confrontations under the Trump administration, from battles over poultry imports to diplomatic clashes over Russia and China, all of which have kept Pretoria under intense U.S. scrutiny.

South Africa, however, maintains it wants to stay inside the framework. Kenya, which has worked hard to maintain a favourable trade relationship with Washington, is keeping a close eye. With Nairobi positioning itself as a reliable partner, from counterterrorism cooperation to joint investment projects, South Africa’s troubles offer both an opportunity and a warning.