The winter months in South Africa's Olifants River Valley are cold, wet and green. There are waterfalls in the nearby Cederberg and Winterhoek mountains, and the landscape below is blanketed by citrus orchards. Surrounding the town of Citrusdal, farmhouses and packhouses dot the landscape, defining one of the agricultural jewels of South Africa's Western Cape province.

But this winter is very different from previous ones. When I speak to the orchard workers, packhouse managers and various technicians on our family's farm, their concern is clear. I myself, an eighth generation citrus grower, am deeply worried about the future of our community. Storm clouds are on the horizon.

On July 7 the U.S. announced a planned 30 percent tariff on South African imports starting Aug. 1. This came after no final trade deal could be reached between South Africa and the U.S. following the Trump administration’s reciprocal tariff announcement of April 2.

Our valley shows how the tariff turmoil can have extremely disruptive consequences. The local citrus farms have proudly been exporting world-class fresh citrus to the U.S. for decades. Especially the mandarins and oranges produced here finds its way onto many U.S. store shelves. American consumers have started to develop a pronounced taste for South African citrus.........

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