Tariffs fuel uncertainty in Africa's export prospects

A fresh wave of uncertainty is sweeping across African export sectors after United States President Donald Trump announced plans to impose an additional 10 percent tariff on countries aligning with the BRICS bloc, a move experts warn could derail hard-won trade gains, threaten tens of thousands of jobs, and accelerate Africa's economic pivot away from Western markets.

Experts said the proposed additional tariffs are sending ripples through Africa's trade and policy circles, raising concerns over the future of the US-Africa trade relationship and accelerating the continent's shift toward diversified economic partnerships.

They said such a policy, if enacted, would deal a significant blow to African economies that have long benefited from US trade preferences such as the African Growth and Opportunity Act, or AGOA.