Ramaphosa opposes Trump's 30% tariff on South Africa
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has opposed what he calls the "unilateral" higher trade tariffs imposed on his country by the US.
The final day of the Africa-Spain Summit 2025, organized by One Africa Forums and held at the Casa Arabe headquarters, under the theme "Spain and Africa: A Global, Sustainable, and Inclusive Partnership," began with a debate on the resilience and importance of relations between Africa and Spain, focusing on industrialization and inclusion.
Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) can help improve the continent's trade balance with the rest of the world, especially Spain and Europe; increase the value of African products; and digitize the continent.
The following participated in this meeting: Alfonso Ruiz Livramento, Chief of Staff of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA); Assia Ben Saad, Director of Cooperation and Partnerships at the Moroccan Agency for the Development of Investment and Exports (AMDIE); Ahmed Salem El Arabi Nahah, Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture of Mauritania; Jean Stephane Menga, Director of Investment and Cooperation at the Cameroon Office; Anis Jaziri, President of the Tunisia Africa Business Council (TBAC); Gwendoline Abunaw, President of APECCAM, Cameroon; and Amine Belhaj Soulami, Director of Staff at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of Morocco.
In her opening remarks, Assia, Director of Cooperation and Partnerships at the Moroccan Agency for the Development of Investments and Exports (AMDIE), highlighted the importance of reindustrializing the textile sector in Morocco, supporting multinationals in establishing themselves, and the need for many of them to comply with a series of sustainability-related regulations.
To this end, Assia emphasized the importance of a legal framework that facilitates companies from around the world to establish themselves in Africa. As an example, the chief of staff highlighted the laws implemented by the Moroccan government to boost the automotive sector. However, she explained that without the help of banks and public-private financing, meeting the objectives for small and medium-sized businesses could be difficult.
