By the time you read this tariff update, it will almost certainly be out-of-date. The shifting sands of US-SA trade relations are such that almost every day heralds a new twist in the tariff saga, with no real end in sight.
In the meantime, SABBEX continues to lobby for the best possible sector outcome, which would be a tariff exclusion for South Africa’s boat exports. In negotiations to date, SABBEX emphasised the interdependent nature of marine manufacturing, with US components a vital component of local boat manufacturing. “What is unique in the boatbuilding industry is that we are an interdependent globally-based industry, with 40% to 60% of components that go into our catamarans coming from the US,” Davidson said, adding that the US footprint includes design and sales offices and after-sales services. “We can’t look at ourselves as one side of the Atlantic and the other side of the Atlantic; we have this intrinsic connection that benefits both our economies at the same time,” Davidson said.
SABBEX is lobbying to have boatbuilding added to a list of tariff-exempt South African exports, on account of the potential economic disruption to both countries.