President Donald Trump introduced new tariffs on nearly all US trade partners on Wednesday, including an 18% “reciprocal” tariff on Zimbabwean exports, citing claims “our country has been looted, pillaged, raped, plundered” by other nations.
In 2023, Zimbabwe's exports to the US amounted to $119 million, predominantly ferroalloys ($62.7 million), raw tobacco ($26 million), and raw sugar ($14.5 million), according to official data.
At a White House Rose Garden speech, President Trump cited Zimbabwe, along with 50 other African nations, claiming they imposed tariffs on US goods, Reuters reports.
“This is not full reciprocal, it is kind reciprocal,” Trump said whilst displaying a chart during his speech showing the tariffs imposed by other countries on US goods, highlighting that these rates varied between 10% and 50%.
With a few exceptions, according to the charts Trump presented, the US tariff rate on most countries was about half of what those countries imposed.
In some cases, the US applied the same tariff rates as those countries, as shown on the chart.
One of the charts also stated that Zimbabwe had a 35% tariff on US goods.
Among African countries, Botswana, the world's largest diamond producer, will face a 37% tariff, while South Africa will be subject to a 30% tariff, Madagascar to 47%, and Lesotho will experience the highest at 50%.
In addition, a 34% tariff on imports from China and 20% on the European Union, among others, could disrupt much of the global economic framework and potentially lead to widespread trade wars.
Trump, who claimed the tariffs were aimed at strengthening domestic manufacturing, used strong language to criticise the global trade system that the United States helped establish after World War II.
The move represents a historic tax increase that could push the global order to its limits. It marks the beginning of a potentially painful shift for many Americans, as essential middle-class goods like housing, cars, and clothing are expected to become more expensive, while also disrupting the alliances that were formed to maintain peace and economic stability, the Reuters report adds.
“Taxpayers have been ripped off for more than 50 years. But it is not going to happen anymore,” he stated.