# South Africa cuts off trade with the US? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 14, 2025, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-africa-cuts-off-trade-with-the-us/1014292 "2025-02-14T02:16:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2025, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-africa-cuts-off-trade-with-the-us/1014292/1 "2025-02-14T02:16:22Z")
Is this true? I’ve only seen it in one news source, the Maravi Post, a news outlet in Malawi, not South Africa. > **[South Africa suspends American businesses and mineral exports - The Maravi Post](https://www.maravipost.com/south-africa-suspends-american-businesses-and-mineral-exports/)** > > South Africa suspends American businesses and mineral exports - The Maravi Post Paging @MrDibble and @scudsucker ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2025, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-africa-cuts-off-trade-with-the-us/1014292/2 "2025-02-14T02:19:21Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Is this true? I sure hope so. And the rest of the civilized world should do the same ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2025, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-africa-cuts-off-trade-with-the-us/1014292/3 "2025-02-14T02:32:25Z")
I can think of at least one South African export we’d be better off without. [![](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTCSRTynSwp8s4PL9IUBoYb6_NZrcziZo1DzW2YmCCnbg&s=10) ](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTCSRTynSwp8s4PL9IUBoYb6_NZrcziZo1DzW2YmCCnbg&s=10) ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2025, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-africa-cuts-off-trade-with-the-us/1014292/4 "2025-02-14T02:50:54Z")
Heard absolutely nothing about this. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2025, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-africa-cuts-off-trade-with-the-us/1014292/5 "2025-02-14T03:50:30Z")
My bullshit meter is going off. This is current news by a _reputable_ South African source: > **[SA works the Washington halls to avert aid and trade crisis](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-02-13-sa-works-the-washington-halls-to-avert-aid-and-trade-crisis/?dm_source=dm_block_list&dm_medium=card_link&dm_campaign=main)** > > South Africa’s newly minted ambassador to the United States, Ebrahim Rasool, has said the country is very worried about the rapid rise in tensions between the two countries. Chrispin Phiri, spokesperson for Minister of International Relations and... ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2025, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-africa-cuts-off-trade-with-the-us/1014292/6 "2025-02-14T03:54:59Z")
I linked an article in (I think) The BBQ Pit; but as I said there, I could only find a single source. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2025, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-africa-cuts-off-trade-with-the-us/1014292/7 "2025-02-14T05:08:29Z")
A Facebook friend posted about it as breaking news 12 hours ago, but I couldn’t find a source. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2025, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-africa-cuts-off-trade-with-the-us/1014292/8 "2025-02-14T06:26:04Z")
Same bullshit source as the OP. I mean, our government doesn’t actually have the power to do anything like what the article suggests. It seems to be an exaggeration and expansion of an empty threat or call to action our minerals minister made recently, not actual government action. > **[No minerals for the US if aid is cut, Gwede Mantashe threatens](https://mg.co.za/politics/2025-02-03-no-minerals-for-the-us-if-aid-is-cut-gwede-mantashe-threatens/)** > > The mineral and petroleum resources minister also told the mining indaba that the African continent must take charge of its mineral wealth