African countries braced for the fallout from US President Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs as he warned of an additional 10% levy on countries allied to the BRICS bloc.
The White House will today deliver the first set of letters outlining new, unilateral tariff levels, with a three-month reprieve set to expire on Wednesday: The new duties will come into effect on Aug. 1, and could be as high as 70%, the American president said — higher than any of his “Liberation Day” levies.
“Any country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% tariff,” he posted on social media on Sunday. Alongside South Africa, Egypt, and Ethiopia are members of the bloc.
The proposed tariffs are already upending Africa’s agriculture industry, forcing countries to adapt. In South Africa, the world’s second-biggest producer of citrus fruits, growers fear the fallout of a 31% US levy. Meanwhile soy producers in Ethiopia have been somewhat bolstered by a new export agreement with China.
The uncertainty unleashed by shifting US trade policy comes as Trump prepares to host the leaders of five African countries — Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal — in Washington this week for a summit focused on commercial opportunities, as the administration homes in on a new strategy for Africa based on trade.
