Trump tariffs threaten 35,000 jobs, entire towns in South Africa's citrus sector, farmers group says

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Trump tariffs threaten 35,000 jobs, entire towns in South Africa's citrus sector, farmers group says

2025-04-08 21:09 Last Updated At：21:11

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The new 30% tariffs set to be imposed on South Africa by the Trump administration will threaten 35,000 jobs in the country's citrus-growing sector and the economies of entire towns, a farmers group said Tuesday.

The Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa said the impending reciprocal tariffs, due to come into effect on Wednesday, will be deeply damaging to South Africa's largest agricultural export.

The group said the tariffs would likely make South African citrus fruits cost $4.25 more per carton for American consumers. South Africa provides citrus to the U.S. market when it is out of season there.

South Africa is the second-biggest exporter of oranges behind Spain and the world's fourth-largest exporter of soft citrus fruits, according to the World Citrus Organization.

South Africa sends around 5%-6% of its citrus exports to the United States, which is more than 6.5 million cartons per year, the growers' association said, but some rural towns were specifically geared to and heavily dependent on the U.S. market.

The farmers’ group cited the case of the town of Citrusdal, near Cape Town, and said it faced major job losses and “maybe even total economic collapse” because it was built on exporting citrus to the U.S. It said there were other rural towns like it.

"There is immense anxiety in our communities,” said Gerrit van der Merwe, the chairman of the Citrus Growers' Association and a citrus farmer near Citrusdal.

The group said the tariffs were due to come into effect the same week the first citrus fruit of the South African season was being packed to be exported to the U.S. It said it was urgently calling on the South African government to prioritize negotiations with the U.S. on tariff reductions or exemptions on citrus.

“Citrus is not produced in a factory,” Citrus Growers' Association CEO Boitshoko Ntshabele said. “(South African) citrus growers do not compete with U.S. citrus growers. In fact, quite the opposite. Our high-quality produce sustains consumer interest when U.S. local citrus is out of season, eventually benefitting U.S. growers when we hand over at the end of our season.”

South Africa, the most diverse economy in Africa, has been especially hard-hit by the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Trump's cuts to U.S. foreign aid removed significant funding from South Africa's AIDS program, which is the largest in the world and treats around 5.5 million people. Trump has also issued an executive order stopping other federal funding to South Africa over what he said was the South African government's mistreatment of white minority farmers, many of whom could now be negatively impacted by his new tariffs.

Sarah Palin tells defamation trial jury that Times editorial 'kicked the oomph' out of her

2025-04-22 22:09 Last Updated At：22:10

NEW YORK (AP) — Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin testified Monday at a defamation trial that an editorial about gun control in The New York Times in 2017 was devastating and “kicked the oomph” out of her.

The former Republican candidate for vice president whose college degree is in journalism answered questions in Manhattan federal court at a trial of her libel claims against the newspaper. She seeks unspecified damages.

“This was the gamechanger,” Palin said of the effect on her life after the newspaper in June 2017 published the editorial that became the subject of her lawsuit. “I felt defenseless. It just kicked the oomph right out of you.”

The editorial was written after U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican, was wounded when a man with a history of anti-GOP activity opened fire on a congressional baseball team practice in Washington.

In the editorial, the Times wrote that before the 2011 mass shooting in Arizona that severely wounded former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords and killed six others, Palin’s political action committee had contributed to an atmosphere of violence by circulating a map of electoral districts that put Giffords and 19 other Democrats under stylized crosshairs.

In a correction published less than a day later, the Times said the editorial had “incorrectly stated that a link existed between political rhetoric and the 2011 shooting” and had “incorrectly described” the map.

But Palin said the correction didn’t name her or restore her reputation, leaving it hard to overcome “when the loudest voice in the room, the most credible, biggest publication, was making things up about me.”

She said she received death threats.

“It got scarier. It got worse,” Palin said.

On cross-examination, a lawyer for the Times elicited from Palin that she still has millions of social media followers, is a best selling author and remains welcome to speak at events sponsored by Republican organizations.

Palin told reporters afterward that she was “thankful for the opportunity” to testify and that she is confident the jury will decide in her favor. She said she left court “believing that there's still justice in the world” and "believing still that the press will be held accountable."

Last week, former Times editorial page editor James Bennet cried as he apologized to Palin from the witness stand, saying he “blew it” when he inserted the incorrect information in the editorial.

He said he was “really upset, and I still am, obviously.”

In February 2022, a jury found against Palin’s libel claims, but the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan last year revived the case, citing errors made by the trial judge, including by dismissing the case while the last jury was deliberating.

After testimony concluded on Monday, lawyers asked Judge Jed S. Rakoff to make rulings in their favor as a matter of law rather than leaving everything for the jury to decide after closing arguments Tuesday. The judge rejected the requests.

“I think the 2nd Circuit has sent a message to this court that this is a case for the jury,” Rakoff said.