According to the New York Times, a group of 54 Afrikaners were due to depart from Johannesburg on Sunday. The Washington Post reported that a group of 60 Afrikaners would be arriving on a State Department plane on Monday to an airport just outside of Washington.

The State Department declined in an email to confirm the reports or say how many South Africans would be coming and when they would arrive.

A spokesperson said in response to a request for comment that the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa had been conducting interviews and processing applications of individuals who have expressed interest in moving to the United States. The State Department said in its statement that it is prioritizing Afrikaners in South Africa who it views as victims of unjust racial discrimination.

Trump adviser and Telsa chief Elon Musk, who is from South Africa, has also been openly critical of the Expropriation Act. He met with South Africa’s president to discuss it days before Trump signed a Feb. 7 executive order prioritizing Afrikaners for resettlement through the United States’ refugee program.

“To go a step further, any Farmer (with family!) from South Africa, seeking to flee that country for reasons of safety, will be invited into the United States of America with a rapid pathway to Citizenship. This process will begin immediately!” Trump wrote on March 7.

South Africa has responded forcefully. It accused the United States of “entirely politically motivated” actions in a May 9 statement that it said are “designed to question” the laws of a constitutional democracy that has worked since apartheid to prevent widespread discrimination.

United States law defines refugees as individuals located outside of the country who can demonstrate they were persecuted, or have a fear persecution, due to their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. International refugee law lays out similar conditions.

The South African government argued in its statement that Trump’s order does not meet that description.

“There are sufficient structures available within South Africa to address concerns of discrimination. Moreover, even if there are allegations of discrimination, it is our view that these do not meet the threshold of persecution required under domestic and international refugee law,” the South African government said.

It said it will not it prevent its citizens from moving to the United States but has sought to vet the individuals leaving to make sure they do not have criminal charges pending against them.

The White House defended Trump’s order at a May 9 briefing, where press secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated the administration’s stance that white South Africans are facing “racial persecution” through the land seizure law. Deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller also said South African farmers were facing “race-based persecution” and told reporters that under the Trump administration, the U.S. would no longer be favoring refugees from poverty-stricken nations.

In 2023, the U.S. admitted 60,050 people to the United States as refugees. The primarily came from the war-torn countries of Congo, Syria, and Afghanistan.

Retailers abandon US market as Trump’s tariff blitz hits small parcels

With the end of a U.S. tariff exemption for small parcels on May 2, some retailers have stopped selling to customers in the United States, while others are seeking temporary workarounds in the hope that the tariff rate may be reduced.

The removal of “de minimis” ‒ duty-free treatment of e-commerce packages worth less than $800 ‒ for products originating from China and Hong Kong exposes those goods to tariffs of 145% on most Chinese goods following President Donald Trump‘s decision in April. The move upended global trade and triggered retaliation from Beijing.

British beauty products retailer Space NK has paused e-commerce orders and shipping to the United States “to avoid incorrect or additional costs being applied to our customers’ orders”, the company said in a notice on April 30.

It is not alone. Understance, a Vancouver-based company that sells bras and underwear manufactured in China, told customers in an Instagram post that it would no longer ship to the United States due to the tariffs, saying it will resume once there is clarity.

“We’re going from zero to 145%, which is really untenable for companies and untenable for customers,” said Cindy Allen, CEO of Trade Force Multiplier, a global trade consultancy.

“I’ve seen a lot of small to medium-sized businesses just choose to exit the market altogether,” she added.

Price hikes underway

Players willing to continue to access the U.S. market are forced to hike their price tags.

Oh Polly, a British clothing retailer, has increased prices in the United States by 20% compared to its other markets, and may have to consider further price increases because of the higher tariffs, said managing director Mike Branney.

Singapore-based fast-fashion giant Shein sought to reassure customers in a post on its U.S. Instagram account on Thursday, saying: “Some products may be priced differently than before, but the majority of our collections remain as affordable as ever.” Shein sells clothes mostly manufactured in China, and the United States is its biggest market.

Temu, the international arm of Chinese e-commerce giant PDD Holdings, prominently featured products already in United States warehouses on its website, labelled ‘Local’, and a pop-up informed customers there would be no import charges for local warehouse items.

“All sales in the U.S. are now handled by locally based sellers, with orders fulfilled from within the country,” Temu said in a statement, adding that its pricing for U.S. customers “remains unchanged”.

But items imported before the May 2 change will eventually run out. Both Shein and Temu have slashed their U.S. digital advertising spending in the past weeks as they prepared for the change that is likely to hit their sales.

De minimis was initially introduced to smooth international trade, but became the target of bipartisan criticism due to its role in facilitating smuggling of fentanyl ingredients from China and fueling a surge in imports of cheap clothes, toys and furniture made in China through online platforms like Temu, Shein and Amazon Haul.

De minimis has also been a channel for counterfeit goods. In 2024, de minimis shipments accounted for 97% of the intellectual property infringement-related cargo seizures made by Customs and Border Protection.

Without de minimis, sellers of goods made in China have to provide U.S. customs with more detailed information about where each component of their product is made, an increased administrative burden that, along with the huge tariff cost, is dissuading small retailers.

UPS CEO Carol Tome said on April 29 that many of the delivery firm’s small to medium-sized business customers source 100% of their goods from China.

U.S. online marketplace Etsy said in a notice to sellers earlier this month that it was making it easier for them to clarify the country of origin of their products, as tariffs are applied based on where a good is made rather than where it is dispatched from.

While disruptive to e-commerce, the end of de minimis treatment of Chinese goods could give a boost to retailers less reliant on e-commerce or on Chinese manufacturing.

British fast-fashion retailer Primark, which sells clothes to U.S. customers only through its stores across the country, not online, said it could benefit from the change.

“With prices going up from this part of the trade, I wonder if some Americans might start going back to shopping centers to find value there,” George Weston, CEO of Primark owner Associated British Foods, told Reuters on April 29.

Reporting by Helen Reid, additional reporting by Amy Tennery, Lisa Baertlein, James Davey; Editing by Lisa Jucca, Anna Driver and Emelia Sithole-Matarise

Melania Trump to make rare appearance to help unveil Barbara Bush stamp

Trump will be joined by officials from the United States Postal Service and the George and Barbara Bush Foundation, as well as friends and family of the Bushes, including Barbara and George Bush’s daughter, Doro Bush, according to a White House news release. Former President George W. Bush is not expected to attend.

When is the ceremony and how to watch:

Thursday, May 8, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. ET in the East Room of the White House.

US President Donald Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump attend the funeral of Pope Francis in St. PeterÕs Square on April 26, 2025 in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Francis died on April 21st at the age of 88. Born in Argentina as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, he was the first Latin American and the first Jesuit to become Pope when elected in 2013. Taking the name Francis after St Francis of Assisi, he promoted a more humble version of the papacy than many of his predecessors. He will be buried outside of the Vatican in a simple wooden coffin at the Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore.