Number of the Day | 50% | 18 August 2026

50% is today’s Number of the Day. Canada and the United States are in last-minute negotiations before a midnight deadline that could trigger 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian products, from industrial goods to everyday consumer items. The confrontation shows just how quickly trade between even long-standing allies can become leverage in Donald Trump’s push to rebalance America’s economic relationships.

For South Africa, this is not somebody else’s trade war. A US Section 301 action has already imposed a 12.5% tariff on goods from a range of trading partners, including South Africa, while AGOA remains an important source of preferential access to the American market. The US Senate has backed legislation extending AGOA-related duty-free treatment, offering some breathing room. But Canada’s experience raises the harder question: how confidently can any country plan around access to the US market when tariffs themselves have become a negotiating weapon?

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(00:00) Canada Faces a 50% Tariff Deadline
(01:28) Why Trump Says Trade Must Be Fairer
(01:53) South Africa’s Own 12.5% US Tariff
(02:34) How AGOA Is Protecting South African Exports