Faith Nyasuguta
The United Nations is urging the U.S. President Donald Trump to exempt the world’s poorest and smallest nations, some of them in Africa, from harsh new “reciprocal” tariffs that could cause serious economic damage without offering real benefits to U.S. trade interests.
The appeal comes from the UN Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad), which released a report warning that Trump’s tariff policy unfairly targets 28 low-income countries, despite the fact that each contributes less than 0.1% to the U.S. trade deficit. Several African nations are among those most at risk, including Madagascar, Ghana, Mauritius, Ivory Coast, Malawi, and Mozambique.
Under Trump’s plan, these nations are facing tariff rates far above the standard 10% baseline. Madagascar could see rates as high as 47%, Ghana’s cocoa exports may face a 45% tariff, and Mauritius is expected to be hit with 40%. Malawi and Mozambique, already struggling economically, are looking at 18% and 16% respectively.
Unctad warns that such measures could devastate fragile economies across the continent. Madagascar, for instance, exported $150 million worth of vanilla to the U.S. last year. Ivory Coast and Ghana together shipped about $1 billion in cocoa. These products are difficult for the U.S. to substitute domestically, meaning the tariffs may simply raise prices for American consumers while crippling African exporters.
“The current 90-day pause presents an opportunity to reassess how small and vulnerable economies- including the least developed countries- are treated,” Unctad said. “This is a critical moment to consider exempting them from tariffs that offer little to no advantage for U.S. trade policy but risk causing serious economic harm.”
Trump defended the policy by accusing foreign countries of having “looted, pillaged, raped, plundered” the U.S. economy through unfair trade practices. But Unctad’s report argues that many of these nations pose no threat to U.S. industry and generate minimal revenue for Washington even under the new tariffs.
Malawi, for example, bought just $27 million in U.S. goods last year. Mozambique purchased $150 million. Unctad analysts estimate that all 28 countries combined would account for less than 1% of total U.S. tariff revenue, even if American imports from them remain unchanged.
Many of these African countries had been beneficiaries of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a trade policy introduced in 2000 to give sub-Saharan African countries duty-free access to U.S. markets and encourage development through trade. As of early 2025, 32 African nations were eligible under AGOA, but the new tariff structure threatens to undo years of progress.
“Tariffs of this scale could undermine decades of development work,” Unctad said. “They strike at sectors that support thousands of jobs and provide the main source of income for many families.”
The U.S. administration has paused the implementation of the higher rates for 90 days after financial markets reacted with alarm. Still, the White House insists the “reciprocal” tariff plan will move forward unless countries renegotiate existing trade arrangements.
Uncertainty remains high. Over the weekend, Trump added confusion by retracting an earlier announcement that laptops and other electronics would be exempt. On his Truth Social platform, he said, “No one is getting off the hook,” and promised a full investigation into the electronics supply chain.
As Trump’s trade policy continues to shift, countries in Africa and other parts of the developing world are bracing for the impact. With little leverage to fight back, their hopes rest on global pressure and the short window of time before the tariffs take full effect.
The UN’s message is clear: penalizing the poorest nations will hurt the global economy more than it helps America.
RELATED:
