FACT CHECK: Did South Africa Ban All US Businesses And Halt Mineral Exports?

A post shared on Facebook claims South Africa banned all American businesses and halted mineral exports.

Verdict: False

There is no evidence for this claim.

Fact Check:

Social media users are claiming that South Africa suspended all U.S. businesses and halted the export of minerals to the U.S. in response to the U.S. suspending all USAID projects.

“South Africa has officially suspended all American businesses within its territory and halted the export of minerals to the United States,” reads part of one user’s post. (RELATED: Claim That Trump Plans To Invalidate Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness Program Is Satire)

There is no evidence that South Africa has done this. If they had done so, media outlets would have covered it, yet none have. A wider internet search also did not yield any results for this claim.

A South African official did suggest that the country should ban mineral exports to the U.S., but another representative said that the remark was a joke, according to Reuters.

The Dispatch also debunked this claim. The outlet reported that “South Africa has made no recent move affecting the business activity of American-based companies operating in the country.”