globaltraffic.earth

Trade between South Africa and the United States

In 2024, South Africa exported $14.4 billion to the United States and imported $6 billion. South Africa ran a surplus of $8.4 billion with the United States, compared with a surplus of $2.4 billion in 2019. The United States was South Africa’s 2nd largest trading partner (8% of its trade), and South Africa was the United States’ 36th (0.4%).

Summary

South Africa → United States
$14.4billion
United States → South Africa
$6billion
South Africa’s balance
$8.4billion

Balance

South Africa’s trade balance with the United States

Trade between South Africa and the United States grew 3.4-fold since 1995

USD billions (current). South Africa’s exports and imports; bars: its balance (green surplus, red deficit).

  • Exports 14.4
  • Imports 6
  • Balance +8.4

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$2.7 billion$3.3 billion-$594 million
1996$2.8 billion$3.6 billion-$741 million
1997$3 billion$3.5 billion-$409 million
1998$3.5 billion$3.6 billion-$59 million
1999$3.6 billion$3.4 billion$285 million
2000$4.6 billion$3.4 billion$1.2 billion
2001$4.9 billion$3.1 billion$1.8 billion
2002$4.6 billion$3.1 billion$1.5 billion
2003$4.9 billion$3.3 billion$1.6 billion
2004$6.6 billion$4 billion$2.7 billion
2005$6.1 billion$4.3 billion$1.8 billion
2006$7.5 billion$5 billion$2.4 billion
2007$8.5 billion$5.9 billion$2.6 billion
2008$9.6 billion$7 billion$2.6 billion
2009$5.9 billion$5 billion$889 million
2010$8.3 billion$6.2 billion$2.1 billion
2011$9.5 billion$8.2 billion$1.3 billion
2012$8.9 billion$8 billion$871 million
2013$8.3 billion$6.4 billion$1.9 billion
2014$8 billion$6.4 billion$1.6 billion
2015$7 billion$5.9 billion$1.1 billion
2016$6.7 billion$4.9 billion$1.8 billion
2017$8 billion$5.3 billion$2.6 billion
2018$8.3 billion$5.2 billion$3.2 billion
2019$7.8 billion$5.4 billion$2.4 billion
2020$11.3 billion$4.3 billion$7 billion
2021$15.3 billion$5.5 billion$9.7 billion
2022$13.4 billion$6 billion$7.4 billion
2023$12.5 billion$6.8 billion$5.7 billion
2024$14.4 billion$6 billion$8.4 billion

What they sell each other

What South Africa sells to the United States

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Platinum$4 billion · 27.6%
    81 tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  2. Other precious metal articles$2.7 billion · 19%
    35 tonnes
  3. Cars$1.9 billion · 13.3%
    101 thousand tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  4. Diamonds$753 million · 5.2%
    South Africa’s destinations
  5. Gold$682 million · 4.8%
    8 tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  6. Unwrought aluminum$355 million · 2.5%
    155 thousand tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  7. Ferroalloys$324 million · 2.3%
    292 thousand tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  8. Jewelry$245 million · 1.7%
    7 tonnes · the United States’ sources
  9. Granulated blast-furnace slag$142 million · 0.99%
    202 thousand tonnes
  10. Citrus fruit$119 million · 0.82%
    100 thousand tonnes · South Africa’s destinations

What the United States sells to South Africa

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Crude petroleum$429 million · 7.2%
    618 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  2. Natural gas and LPG$350 million · 5.9%
    506 thousand tonnes
  3. Airplanes and helicopters$254 million · 4.3%
    the United States’ destinations
  4. Computers$225 million · 3.8%
    556 tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  5. Other plastic articles$194 million · 3.3%
    2 thousand tonnes
  6. Cars$183 million · 3.1%
    7 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  7. Medical and dental instruments$168 million · 2.8%
    2 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  8. Auto parts$159 million · 2.7%
    9 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  9. Turbojets and gas turbines$142 million · 2.4%
    26 tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  10. Refined petroleum$137 million · 2.3%
    152 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Durban to Los Angeles.

The estimated sea route between Durban and Los Angeles is 10,268 nautical miles (19,016 km) long: ≈ 24–30.5 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).

Passages it crosses: Cape of Good Hope and Panama Canal.

Sailing estimate without port calls, waiting or transshipment; not a schedule. One main reference port per country: in large countries it does not represent all of its ports.

Split by transport mode

  1. Sea$9.2 billion · 45.3%
  2. Air$11.1 billion · 54.7%

Mode estimated from value per kilo and geography; both directions together.

How much each matters to the other

The United States was South Africa’s 2nd largest trading partner (8% of its trade), and South Africa was the United States’ 36th (0.4%).

The United States in South Africa’s trade
8%
The United States’ rank among South Africa’s partners
2nd
South Africa in the United States’ trade
0.4%
South Africa’s rank among the United States’ partners
36th

Compare with

Other partners of South Africa

Other partners of the United States

Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. The sea route comes from our own network derived from World Bank shipping density (not from nautical charts), between one main reference port per country (World Port Index); days are the distance at 14 and 18 knots, without port calls or waiting. Data up to 2024.