In a first since threats began, Trump has directly hit African countries with tariffs. On wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 10 percent baseline tariff on all imports into the U.S. from all countries and higher rates on countries with trade surpluses with the U.S.
The tariffs are expected to boost U.S. manufacturing and punish other countries for what he says are years of unfair trade practices.
Some of the highest rates will be levied on smaller countries, with goods from the southern African nation of Lesotho facing 50 percent.
Read also: Nigeria Eurobonds tumble as Trump tariffs trigger turmoil
“Our country has been looted, pillaged, raped, plundered” by other nations, Trump said on Wednesday. “Taxpayers have been ripped off for more than 50 years,” he added in remarks at the White House. “But it is not going to happen anymore.”
In addition to countries that the White House described as the “worst offenders,” including the European Union facing 20 percent tariffs, China facing 34 percent tariffs, Vietnam and Lesotho, as well as other exporters to the U.S., here are all the African countries on Trump’s preliminary list:
Lesotho – 50 percent
Mauritius – 40 percent
Botswana – 37 percent
Angola – 32 percent
Libya – 31 percent
Algeria – 30 percent
South Africa – 30 percent
São Tomé and Príncipe – 29 percent
Tunisia – 28 percent
Côte d’Ivoire – 21 percent
Namibia – 21 percent
Zimbabwe – 18 percent
Zambia – 17 percent
Malawi – 17 percent
Mozambique – 16 percent
Nigeria – 14 percent
Equatorial Guinea – 13 percent
Chad – 13 percent
Democratic Republic of the Congo – 11 percent
Cameroon – 11 percent
Egypt – 10 percent
Morocco – 10 percent
Kenya – 10 percent
Tanzania – 10 percent
Senegal – 10 percent
Uganda – 10 percent
Ethiopia – 10 percent
Ghana – 10 percent
Gabon – 10 percent
Togo – 10 percent
Republic of the Congo – 10 percent
Djibouti – 10 percent
Rwanda – 10 percent
Sierra Leone – 10 percent
Guinea – 10 percent
Mali – 10 percent
Eswatini (Swaziland) – 10 percent
Liberia – 10 percent
South Sudan – 10 percent
Comoros – 10 percent
Cabo Verde – 10 percent
Burundi – 10 percent
Mauritania – 10 percent
Gambia – 10 percent
Central African Republic – 10 percent
Eritrea – 10 percent
Guinea-Bissau – 10 percent
Read also: Global Markets reel as US tariffs stoke fear of economic spiral of doom
The White House said officials would start charging the 10 percent tariffs on April 5, with the higher duties starting on April 9. The sweeping tariffs are expected to produce hundreds of billions in annual revenue to fund key projects.
Lesotho received the second highest rate of any country in the world after China with 50 percent on all imports.
The African country has a large trade surplus with the US. According to the White House, in 2024 while the US exported just $2.8 million worth of goods to Lesotho, it imported $237.3 million from the country. mostly made up of diamonds and textiles.
In 2022, Nigeria was the second-largest U.S. export destination in Sub-Saharan Africa. According to data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), Nigeria exported $6.29 billion worth of goods to the U.S. in 2023, while importing $3 billion, leaving the U.S. with a trade deficit of $3.29 billion.
