Africa braces for economic hit as Trump’s tariffs end US trade perks

Workers at the Shining Century textile factory in Maseru, Lesotho, where a new 50 percent US tariff threatens the country’s key textile sector and thousands of jobs. ASSOCIATED PRESS - BEN CURTIS

The heavy new tariffs announced by President Donald Trump are shaking up trade ties between the United States and several African nations – many of whom have had preferential agreements with Washington for decades.

Unveiled at the White House on Wednesday, 2 April – dubbed “Liberation Day” by Trump – the plan imposes a minimum 10 percent tariff on all imported goods. It comes into effect on 5 April.