African Union says US tariffs threaten decades of trade and cooperation

The African Union said on Monday that US tariffs imposed on countries across the continent threatened decades of "mutually beneficial trade and cooperation".

AU Commission chairman Mahamoud Ali Youssouf expressed deep concern over the tariffs and urged the US government to reconsider, an AU spokesman said.

Youssouf "calls on the US to strengthen, rather than strain, the longstanding partnership rooted in shared values and mutual aspirations," said spokesperson Nuur Mohamud Sheek.

Some African countries have been hit harder by tariffs - ranging from 50% for the small African kingdom of Lesotho, a major textile exporter, to 30% and above for South Africa, Madagascar and Botswana.

About 30 sub-Saharan African countries benefit from duty-free access to the US market through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), an agreement whose future analysts see as under threat now.

African countries have been scrambling to react, with some looking to rapidly mobilise diplomatic delegations to travel to Washington.

South Africa's automotive sector, accounting for 22% of exports to the US and also benefiting under Agoa, will be among the hardest hit as separate tariffs on foreign-made cars have also come into effect.

Kenya, which faced a baseline tariff rate of 10%, said the new measures presented "both challenges and opportunities", perhaps giving a competitive edge compared to other textile-exporting nations dealing with higher rates.

AFP