内容摘要：arrived last week. He has also cut aid, including vital support for

arrived last week. He has also cut aid, including vital support for

Isike said that while trade concessions would be discussed, he doubted the South African government would give up its laws to appease Musk.“I will be surprised if Starlink gets its way by refusing to follow South African transformation laws, which require 30 percent Black ownership of a foreign company,” he said.

Meanwhile, in private talks, Ramaphosa and Trump were also expected to discuss foreign policy issues, including peace prospects between Russia and Ukraine and South Africa’s support for Palestine and its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).Some political observers said Pretoria is in the US crosshairs partly because of its actions against the key Washington ally.Patrick Bond, a sociology professor at the University of Johannesburg, predicted before the talks that the US might offer to retract claims of “white genocide” in exchange for South Africa dropping its case at the ICJ.

South Africa is seeking to hold Israel accountable for its assault on Gaza, which has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians since October 2023. The US is Israel’s strongest ally and arms supplier.“We are very rational when it comes to discussing global and geopolitical matters. We will put South African positions first, and our foreign policy positions will be clarified,” Ramaphosa said before the meeting.

As the Gaza genocide case against Israel continues in The Hague, US allegations of a widely discredited “white genocide” in South Africa continue to follow the country’s leadership.

Before Trump and Ramaphosa retreated to private meetings on Wednesday, a reporter asked the US president if he had decided whether genocide was being committed in South Africa. “I haven’t made up my mind,” he replied.The US apparel market is one of the largest globally, with consumers spending billions of dollars on clothing each year.

While the US once had a robust clothing manufacturing industry, much of production shifted overseas by the late 20th century to countries with lower labour costs. Today, only about 2-3 percent of clothing and only 1 percent of shoes sold in the US are made domestically. The majority of these items are imported from China, Vietnam, Bangladesh and India, which are top players in textile and garment production.Less than 1 percent of toys sold in the US are manufactured domestically. The vast majority, some 75 percent, are imported from China, with additional imports from countries like Vietnam, India and Indonesia.

Less than 10 percent of beauty and personal care products sold in the US are made domestically, according to NielsenIQ data. This includes categories like hair care, cosmetics, nail products, as well as bath and shower products. The vast majority of these items are imported, primarily from manufacturing hubs such as China, South Korea, France and Italy.Moving along to the garage, again, practically everything is mostly not made in the US.