Trump slaps 50% tariff on Lesotho, citing trade imbalance
U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed a 50% tariff on imports from Lesotho, a small, landlocked country in southern Africa, as part of his administration’s aggressive trade policy.
Announced on April 2, 2025, the tariff is the highest levied on any single nation under Trump’s new “reciprocal tariff” framework, which targets countries with significant trade imbalances with the U.S.
Lesotho, which Trump previously dismissed as a place “nobody has ever heard of” during a March speech to Congress, exported approximately $237 million worth of goods primarily textiles and diamonds to the U.S. in 2024 while importing just $2.8 million in return. The White House justified the move by highlighting Lesotho’s 99% tariff on U.S. goods, arguing that the new measure corrects an unfair trade dynamic.
The decision has sparked concern in Lesotho, where the textile industry employs around 40,000 workers and serves as the backbone of the economy. Analysts warn that the tariff could devastate the sector, leading to factory closures and mass job losses. It also effectively nullifies Lesotho’s preferential trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which had previously granted the country duty-free access to U.S. markets.
Lesotho’s government has yet to issue an official response, though its trade minister has signaled plans to send a delegation to Washington to challenge the decision. With the tariff set to take effect on April 9, 2025, the move has fueled debate over its impact, with critics questioning why a small, economically vulnerable nation has been singled out for such harsh penalties.
