How Lesotho, South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya are affected by Donald Trump’s prices

The Lesotho was slapped with the highest price rates in the White House in the list published Wednesday by US President Donald Trump.

Americans bringing goods from the small country in southern Africa will have to pay an additional 50%import tax.

The United States has a large trade deficit with Lesotho, which sells textiles – including jeans – and diamonds in America.

The rate of 50% for Lesotho was one of what Trump described as “reciprocal prices” imposed on imports of dozens of countries, including 20 in Africa. All nations face a minimum rate of 10%.

Responding to the news, the commercial minister of Lesotho, Mokhethi Shelile, said that his government would send a delegation to Washington to argue against the new commercial measure.

“My biggest concern was the immediate closure of factories and job losses”, the AFP news agency quotes it Thursday as journalists.

One of Trump’s objectives with its price announcement is to reduce the trade deficit of his country with the rest of the world.

And that gives an idea of ​​the reason why the Lesotho was so strong.

According to figures from the White House in 2024, while the United States exported only $ 2.8 million (2.1 million pounds sterling) of goods to Lesotho, its imports from the country of southern Africa amounted to $ 237.3 million.

In their calculations, US officials used the difference between the value of imports and exports to fix the rate rates for different countries.

In recent years, Lesotho has managed to sell textiles in the United States, by drawing the best side of African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). This 2000 American legislation has enabled eligible African countries to send goods to the United States without the prices giving them.

Signed by law by President Bill Clinton, AGOA was intended to help African countries develop their economies and create jobs, but these prices seem to threaten its future.

Lesotho’s clothing factories have made jeans for major American brands such as Levi’s and Wrangler in recent years.

Clothes represent almost three -quarters of what Lesotho exports to the United States – its second largest trading partner after South Africa.

The value of this American trade represents more than 10% of its total annual national income. The additional costs that prices will lead to American buyers could reduce demand and therefore have a significant impact on the economy of Lesotho.

“It was a devastating day for us,” said Teboho Kobeli, founder of the clothing manufacturer Lesotho Afri-Expo Textiles, on the Focus On Africa de BBC program.

He said he had spent the day in talks with industry colleagues and the government on what to do afterwards.

While his business, which, according to Mr. Kobeli, employs around 2,000 people, can seek other markets, the United States is so important that “we cannot simply put aside the American market … We have to do everything we can bring it back”.

Colette van der Ven, a lawyer specializing in international trade, told the BBC that the 50% figure that Trump had imposed on the Lesotho “had no logically meaning”.

She described it as “ironic” that the United States effectively punished the Lesotho for the success he played under Agoa.

“It is this feeling that the United States is used because it manages a trade deficit. It really reflects a new ideology on trade and which benefits and which is not.”

Other African countries struck by additional prices include 47% for Madagascar, 40% for Mauritius, 37% for Botswana and 30% for South Africa.

Nigerian exports will also be affected – at a rate of 14%.

Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Senegal and Liberia were among countries whose exports to the United States will be subject to the 10%reference rate. The United States does not manage trade deficit with these countries.

Trump said the reciprocal prices were “for the countries that treat us badly”.

During Wednesday’s announcement at the White House, the Republican President said that the United States had been taken advantage of by “cheaters” and had been “pounded” by foreigners.

“Our taxpayers have been scammed for over 50 years, but that will not happen,” said Trump.

South Africa is on the long list of countries nicknamed the “worst delinquents”, which also include China, Japan and the European Union. They are now higher from American rates – recovery for unfair trade policies, Trump said.

“They have bad things in South Africa. You know, we pay them billions of dollars, and we have reduced funding because many bad things happen in South Africa,” he said, before appointing other countries.

American relations in South Africa have become more and more tense Since the start of the Trump presidency in January.

The largest export in South Africa to the United States is platinum, which can be exempt from the import tax. But its second largest export – cars – will be hard.

In a statement, the South African presidency condemned new prices as “punitive”, saying that they could “serve as a barrier to trade and share prosperity”.

“We must now look among ourselves and say within the customs union in southern Africa … How we will answer these questions,” said the Minister of Trade in South Africa that Tau is cited by AFP.

“The diversification of our profession will be important … Improve our work on the African continent and collaborate,” he said.

The White House has published a list of around 100 countries and the rate rates that the United States would require Trump to nicknamed the “Liberation Day” for the American people.

Trump added 34% to the 20% of existing rights to all Chinese imports in the United States, making it the highest rate in the world.

In addition, Trump imposed a 25% rate on all foreign manufacturing cars.

The United States is expected to start invoicing tariffs of 10% on April 5, with higher tasks for certain nations from April 9.

African countries such as South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya have long-standing trade relations with the United States, and new prices could considerably affect existing economic ties.

Annabel Bishop, chief economist at Investc, a banking and investment company based in South Africa, believes that the impact will be “very negative”.

But she told the BBC that prices could accelerate the current change in African business practices.

“What we expect to see is a bigger trade with the world South, if possible, (there) is probably a change of business partners.”

The prices are also presented in because many African countries are already struggling with the effects of American reductions in foreign aid, which have provided health and humanitarian assistance to vulnerable nations.

Trump announced aid freezing on his first day of power in January as part of an expenditure examination of the United States government.

Additional report by Basillioh Rukanga, Mayeni Jones and Cecilia Macaulay