We're supposed to be hammering out trade deals with the United States. All of that something somewhere out of the spotlight, I would say, after drama in the Oval Office a couple of weeks back. But according to the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, the United States has put out a new trade framework and we have to in putting together our proposals for what kind of trade deals we want aligned with that framework. Is this simply an admin issue
or is there more to it than that? And might we find ourselves either in perhaps it's calmer waters or choppier ones. Let's welcome to talk about that. Chris Hutton, who is executive director at the Center for Risk Analysis. Mister Hutton, welcome and thanks very much for your time. What's the significance of this new framework? Neutral or does it bend one way or the other?
Good oftenoon John, Thanks for the opportunity.
I think, as chanced to be the case with the President.
Trump and his administration, things are much more complicated than they appear on the surface. So I think it does give South Africa maybe a different route to talk about this kind of thing. But despite wanting to now use the new tempt that I still think South Africa should focus on what are the priorities from our side and how do we get to the table with what the US might want from their side. So not to say this now gives us an opportunity to kick for touch.
There's more time to do the admin, there's more time to work on the new template. But rather to say thank you America, this is what we have, this is what we already have sort of in the pipeline to bring to the table. How can we build this with your current framework kind of thing? We have an even better framework that we are bringing to the table.
So do you have any sense at all of how a South Africa's putting together of our package and our proposals is going. And secondly, any sense of the kind of stuff that's the conversations that might actually be building relationships, whether they're personal or between sections of departments. Are we moving in the right direction? In general?
I think in this in this climate, I don't think any country would would say they're moving in the right or they're direction.
With President Trump, I mean the only the.
Only deal effectively that the US has reached is with the United Kingdom. I mean, even the deal with China was just to bring down the tariff. It was a bit of a cease fire, not really a reciprocal trade or tariff deal as it were with China. So the ninth of July deadline, you know, we know it's been coming. The Trump administration, various reps have said they don't think
they'll meet that deadline. In a way, this for them is useful because they can keep the looming reciprocal tariff's sword as it were, hanging over many countries and say, you know, we're not going to reach the deadline. We can continue to negotiate the heart what are you going to bring to the table. So that's one point on
the South Africa, on the DCIC. On international relations, I think there has been more of a focus than there has been in previous years on just drilling down into sort of nitty gritty basics, especially when you talk about the outcomes of the White House meeting, where you talk about things like buying US gas for example, or looking at other areas where US companies can invest in South Africa, looking at some policy reforms that make it easier for US companies to invest.
I think there has been a focus there.
Whether those deals are just one sort of one more dot away from being signed or not that I'm speaking under correction that I'm not sure about.
Thank you very much. Chris Hutton, Center for Risk Analysis, Executive Directors joining us on seven two Drive. I'd like to know if you are involved in business with companies or other kinds of entities in the United States, one way or another, goods coming in, goods use sending across. How are you handling this period of relative uncertainty? I mean, is it affecting your business? Are you holding back on
investment plans? Are there freezers on hiring? Or do you sense the water is now calmer, even if it's not yet crystal clear, and that let's get on with it. Let's do what we must and do it as best we can. I'd love to hear from you if you are actually a player in this space, however, big or small. Oh seven two, seven oh two one seven oh two, twenty seven minutes past four