Most African countries will be subject to a 15 percent tariff, including Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Uganda, and Botswana. Some countries that previously benefited from duty-free access under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) now face this significant additional cost for exporters.
In many cases, this 15 percent rate is lower than what was proposed by United States President Donald Trump in April. For instance, Lesotho faced a proposed 50 percent tariff, while Madagascar, Botswana, Angola, and Zimbabwe were looking at tariffs of 47 percent, 37 percent, 32 percent, and 17 percent, respectively. In other cases, the new tariffs are higher than previously suggested; the DRC and Cameroon were informed of an 11 percent tariff, while Nigeria faced a 14 percent tariff.
Several countries have already been significantly impacted by the shift in U.S. trade policy. Lesotho, which is highly dependent on AGOA, felt the effects first. This small country, located within South Africa, has a population of 2.3 million and exported nearly $240 million worth of goods to the U.S. in 2024. Concerned about the potential destabilization of its textile sector and an impending youth unemployment crisis, Lesotho declared a state of emergency on July 9.
In Tunisia, a 25 percent tariff will take effect on August 7. This increase is part of a broader wave of U.S. import taxes affecting nearly 60 countries, and it is expected to hit Tunisia’s craft sector particularly hard, as the United States is the largest buyer of Tunisian handmade goods. Karim Bairam, who cuts stones for mosaics at the National Office of Crafts in Tunis, mentioned that 80 percent of his work is exported, primarily to the U.S. He expressed concerns that demand might decline as customers bear the costs of customs and delivery. With Tunisia’s economy already under pressure, this tariff increase has raised alarms across the sector. Kenza Fourati, co-founder of the brand Osay the Label, which sells traditional leather slippers, said “the impact on the artisans we work with will inevitably lead to less production. If prices change, the production volume will decrease.”
South Africa is among the few countries facing a 30 percent tariff, which has garnered harsh political criticism from Trump. The U.S. president accuses the South African government of discriminating against white farmers. South African authorities have one week to avoid these severe tariffs.
President Cyril Ramaphosa stated that the country would use this week-long delay to negotiate strongly and avert the penalty, aiming to save jobs.
“Within the window that’s still open, we’re hoping we can find a way to settle this matter,” Ramaphosa told journalists. “Intensive negotiations are now underway. Our objective is to save jobs.”
Algeria and Libya also face a 30 percent tariff, the same rate that Trump imposed on Algeria in April. In July, Trump warned he would impose an additional 10 percent tariff on any country aligning itself with BRICS, referencing the bloc’s “anti-American policies” in a post on his Truth Social platform.
U.S.-Algeria trade totaled an estimated $3.5 billion in 2024, with the United States running a trade deficit of $1.4 billion with Algeria—a 20.9 percent decrease from the deficit in 2023, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Algeria’s exports to the United States are primarily oil.
U.S.-Libya trade was estimated at $2 billion in 2024, with a U.S. goods trade deficit of $898.3 million, down 17.6 percent from 2023. Nearly all of Libya’s $1.57 billion in exports to the U.S. in 2023 consisted of crude petroleum.
Credit: RFI