List of 21 African Countries Donald Trump has Slapped with Highest Export Taxes
- US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on July 31 imposing new reciprocal tariffs on 69 countries, set to take effect on August 7, 2025
- Twenty-one African countries are among those affected by the new tariffs targeting states accused of failing to negotiate or align sufficiently with US interests
- Economist Daniel Kathali told TUKO.co.ke that the tariff hikes will heighten global economic uncertainty
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Elijah Ntongai, an editor at TUKO.co.ke, has over four years of financial, business, and technology research and reporting experience, providing insights into Kenyan, African, and global trends.
A number of African countries have been hit hard in the latest round of trade tariffs announced by the United States administration.
Source: Getty Images
On July 31, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order stipulating new reciprocal tariff rates for individual countries.
The order stated that the new tariffs will take effect at 12:01 a.m. EST seven days from the date of the order, i.e., August 7, 2025.
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Trump accused many of the countries targeted in the new wave of tariffs of failing to negotiate or offering terms that “do not sufficiently address imbalances”.
The US administration also cited a lack of alignment on broader economic and national security issues as grounds for the new tariffs.
"Other trading partners, despite having engaged in negotiations, have offered terms that, in my judgment, do not sufficiently address imbalances in our trading relationship or have failed to align sufficiently with the United States on economic and national-security matters. There are also some trading partners that have failed to engage in negotiations with the United States or to take adequate steps to align sufficiently with the United States on economic and national security matters," Trump said.
Which countries were affected by new US tariffs?
The executive order introduced new tariffs ranging from 10% to 41% for 69 countries, with imports from Laos, Myanmar (Burma), Switzerland, and Syria receiving the highest rates at 40%, 40%, 39%, and 41%, respectively.
Trump also signed another executive order, bringing the total tariff for Brazil to 50% and 35% for goods from Canada.
African countries hit by new US tariffs
African countries have largely benefited from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which provides eligible sub-Saharan African countries with duty-free access to the US market.
However, as the AGOA deal is set to expire on September 30, 2025, all African countries will be subject to the tariffs set by the US government.
Meanwhile, the new wave of tariffs is going to affect multiple countries on the African continent. These countries include:
| 1. Algeria – 30%2. Angola – 15%3. Botswana – 15%4. Cameroon – 15%5. Chad – 15%6. Côte d’Ivoire – 15%7. DR Congo – 15%8. Equatorial Guinea – 15%9. Ghana – 15%10. Lesotho – 15%11. Libya – 30% | 12. Madagascar – 15%13. Malawi – 15%14. Mauritius – 15%15. Mozambique – 15%16. Namibia – 15%17. Nigeria – 15%18. South Africa – 30%19. Uganda – 15%20. Zambia – 15%21. Zimbabwe – 15% |
Impact of the new United States tariffs
Speaking to TUKO.co.ke, Daniel Kathali, an economist, said that the new round of tariffs serves to exacerbate the ongoing economic uncertainties across the globe. He opined that Trump is using the tariffs to force the countries into negotiations.
"The world has been in an 'uncertainty mode' since Trump was sworn in. The new tariffs guarantee that this state will continue for the foreseeable future. Trump and his team got into power on an 'America first' promise, and the administration is using the tariffs to bring the countries that it feels are not aligned with its interests to the negotiating table. We will have to wait until the negotiations and reactions by the affected countries have settled to have a clear picture of the future of the trading relationships between these countries and the US," Kathali opined.
Kenya to dispatch negotiating team to the US
In other news, Kenya remains in the category whose goods will be subject to the 10% tariff.
Trade CS Lee Kinyanjui revealed that Kenya has appealed the tariffs and is seeking to negotiate better terms with the US government.
Kinyanjui said the government will dispatch a team to Washington DC. on August 20 to follow up on the appeal and negotiate lower tariffs.
Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
