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23 February 2026 – Tariffs imposed on South African agricultural products by the US are spiking the price of South African wine in the world’s biggest market, making it less competitive and reducing export volumes.
The price of South African wine is about 17 percentage points more expensive in the US relative to other imports when compared with 2024 prices, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development said in its February’s global-trade update .
South African wine and fruit producers are feeling the impact of US duties of as much as 30% on some agricultural goods. American tariffs crimped imports 11% in the third quarter and 39% in the final three months of the year, according to the report.
Unctad highlighted the effect the tariff regime has on South Africa’s ability to compete in the US by “redistributing competitiveness in complex and uneven ways”. This “differs by sector, country and export structure”, the report said.
“Countries need to monitor their relative tariff positions closely, diversify export markets where access tightens and seize openings where preferential margins improve,” Unctad said. Source: MoneyWeb