South Africa sees US trade negotiations continuing despite G20 differences

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -South Africa’s trade minister Parks Tau said on Sunday that he expected negotiations with the U.S. over a trade deal would continue, despite differences between the two countries over this weekend’s Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg.

Host nation South Africa pushed through a G20 Leaders’ Declaration at the summit despite objections from the U.S., which boycotted the event.

“We’ve compartmentalised these issues and said the G20 is a separate process, … we anticipate that the trade discussions will continue,” Tau told reporters at the summit.

South Africa’s efforts to secure a trade agreement with the U.S. have been complicated by issues including Trump’s unfounded accusations of persecution of South Africa’s white minority.

Trump imposed a 30% tariff on imports from South Africa in August, which could cause tens of thousands of job losses at a time Africa’s biggest economy is barely growing.

(Reporting by Alexander Winning and Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo;Editing by Alexandra Hudson, Elaine Hardcastle)