U.S. President Donald Trump's latest wave of tariffs on exports from dozens of trading partners sent global stock markets tumbling on Friday and countries and companies scrambling to seek ways to strike better deals.

The president said Wednesday that imports from India would be subject to a 25 percent tariff as of Friday, as trade talks between the countries hit a stumbling block.

South Africa's Trade Minister Parks Tau said he was seeking "real, practical interventions" to defend jobs and the economy against the 30per cent US tariff it faces