The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) on July 31 announced the launch of an Export Support Desk to serve as a direct point of contact for companies affected by the imminent 30% tariff hike on South African exports to the US, which comes into effect on August 1. The support desk is among urgent interventions being implemented by the dtic in its efforts to protect jobs, preserve market access in the US and promote export diversification to alternate markets in Africa, the EU, Asia, Latin America and other strategic partners.