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4w ago

Lesotho Prepares Delegation to Address U.S. Tariffs Threatening Its Economy

The African nation faces a 50% tariff on exports to the U.S., jeopardizing its garment industry and prompting urgent diplomatic efforts.

FILE - A car makes its way towards the Afriski ski resort near Butha-Buthe, Lesotho, Sunday July 31, 2022. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, file)
FILE - Elderly women leave the poling station after casting their vote in Thaba-Tseka District, 82km east of Maseru, Lesotho, Friday, Oct. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, file)
Children play on a damaged pedestrian bridge in a township outside the capital Maseru in Lesotho, October 6, 2022.REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File Photo
FILE - Matumelo Manosa, center, works in a garment factory in Maseru, Lesotho, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Neo Ntsoma, file )

Overview

  • The U.S. has imposed a 50% tariff on Lesotho's exports, the highest rate among targeted nations, set to take effect on April 9, 2025.
  • Lesotho's government is finalizing plans to send a high-level delegation to Washington on April 12 to negotiate the removal or reduction of the tariffs.
  • The tariffs threaten Lesotho's garment industry, which employs 12,000 workers and contributes significantly to the nation's economy.
  • Lesotho is also accelerating efforts to diversify its trade relationships, focusing on the European Union and the Africa Continental Free Trade Area.
  • The tariffs coincide with uncertainty over the renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), further endangering Lesotho's economic stability.