Members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have emerged as some of the hardest-hit nations following US President Donald Trump’s announcement of sweeping reciprocal export tariffs on Wednesday night.
The punitive measures, aimed at reshaping global trade dynamics, have dealt a particularly heavy blow to six SADC member states. The tiny kingdom of Lesotho faces the steepest tariff hike, with a staggering 50 percent levy imposed on its exports to the US, primarily textiles.
This is significantly higher than the 34 percent tariff slapped on China, Washington’s largest trade competitor, and marks the highest tariff rate announced by Trump on Wednesday.
Madagascar follows closely with a 47 percent tariff while Mauritius faces a 40 percent levy. Other SADC nations affected include Botswana (37 percent), South Africa (30 percent) and Namibia (21 percent). During the announcement, Trump singled out South Africa, stating, “Some bad things are going on in South Africa.”
The 30 percent tariff on South African exports has drawn sharp criticism from Pretoria, with the government expressing concern over the unilateral measures.
“Whilst South Africa remains committed to a mutually beneficial trade relationship with the United States, unilaterally imposed and punitive tariffs are a concern and serve as a barrier to trade and shared prosperity,” presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said.
He noted the need for a new bilateral trade agreement to ensure long-term trade certainty, describing the tariffs as a barrier to shared prosperity.
The tariffs are part of a broader policy shift under Trump’s administration, which includes a baseline 10 percent tariff on exports from most countries.
Other African nations affected include Algeria (30 percent), Tunisia (28 percent), Côte d’Ivoire (21 percent) and Nigeria (14 percent). Egypt, Morocco and Ghana face a 10 percent tariff each.
Globally, the tariffs range from 10 percent for the United Kingdom and Singapore to 49 percent for Cambodia.
Auto tariffs of 25 percent will also apply to vehicles and related components, further straining international trade relations. Trump defended the measures. “We subsidise a lot of countries and keep them going and keep them in business,” Trump said. He said his administration wanted the affected countries “to work for yourselves.”
JN/APA