JOHANNESBURG, April 3 (Xinhua) -- South Africa on Thursday expressed concern over the tariffs imposed by the United States on its products, calling them "a barrier to trade and shared prosperity."

On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a global minimum 10 percent tariff on all imports and 30 percent tariffs for South Africa, whom he called the "worst offenders."

The South African currency, the rand, weakened by over 2 percent after the U.S. announcement.

In a statement issued Thursday morning, the South African Presidency said it "has noted with concern the newly imposed tariffs on South African exports to the United States of America."

"Whilst South Africa remains committed to a mutually beneficial trade relationship with the U.S., unilaterally imposed and punitive tariffs are a concern and serve as a barrier to trade and shared prosperity," the statement said.

"The tariffs affirm the urgency to negotiate a new bilateral and mutually beneficial trade agreement with the U.S., as an essential step to secure long-term trade certainty," it said.

Relations between South Africa and the United States worsened after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Expropriation Act into law in January. Last month, the United States expelled South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool, further straining their relations.

On Tuesday, the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) confirmed that its delegation had returned from a trip to the United States to mend relations.

According to a statement issued by DIRCO, the delegation held meetings with U.S. government representatives to clarify key issues and address misconceptions about South Africa's policies and legislation, including the Expropriation Act.

DIRCO said the delegation directly tackled concerns and misconceptions that South Africa's policies were designed to violate minority human rights, noting that the government's efforts to address inequality are constitutionally mandated and necessary. Enditem