Taiwan has announced new export restrictions on 47 semiconductor-related products to South Africa, citing national security concerns. The move follows Pretoria's repeated efforts to downgrade Taiwan's diplomatic representation, including renaming and relocating its representative offices earlier this year.

Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs said that exports of integrated circuits, memory chips, diodes, transistors, and LEDs to South Africa will now require government approval. Official data show that Taiwan shipped about $4 million worth of these goods to South Africa last year.

The rare trade action underscores Taipei's frustration with being sidelined by Beijing in international diplomacy. South Africa severed formal ties with Taiwan in 1997 but has intensified pressure since hosting Chinese President Xi Jinping at the 2023 BRICS summit. The push has grown ahead of November's G20 summit in Johannesburg, which Xi is expected to attend.

Taiwan's International Trade Administration stated that Pretoria's actions “undermined national and public security,” prompting Taipei to use export controls as leverage to safeguard sovereignty.

In response, South Africa insisted its relations with Taiwan were “non-political.” Foreign Ministry spokesman Chrispin Phiri emphasized the country's role as a key supplier of platinum group metals—such as palladium—vital to the global semiconductor industry. He said South Africa is seeking to move beyond raw material extraction toward building advanced industries, strengthening supply chain resilience while creating sustainable growth and jobs.

Analysts noted the curbs mark one of Taiwan's first uses of its semiconductor industry as a diplomatic tool, highlighting how chips have become increasingly entangled in geopolitical disputes.