While South Africa is reeling from a 30% tariff slapped on it by US President Donald Trump, there was slightly better news for neighbours Zimbabwe.
Trump said that the United States would implement the long-talked-about reciprocal tariff structure to balance trade and put America first.
And that’s what he did on Wednesday.
He said that countries around the world were exploiting trade with the United States and “cheating” by running massive surpluses while imposing steep tariffs and ‘hidden’ tariffs through VAT and other measures.
‘Worst offenders’
The US leader pulled out a chart showing the new tariffs that will be imposed on a long list of countries, including China, the EU, India, Japanand South Korea.
These countries were dubbed the “worst offenders”.
While the US president initially discussed fully reciprocal tariffs before the announcement, he said the United States would be kind and implement “discounted” rates.
By way of an example, while Trump claimed China is imposing tariffs of 67% on the US, the US would charge a “discounted” rate of only 34%.
For Zimbabwe – as per the lengthy list below – Trump claimed that the tariffs on the United States amounted to 35%. In turn, it will implement a “discounted” 18% tariff on the country.
In terms of southern African countries, although above the ‘average’, Zimbabwe didn’t fare too badly.
South Africa (30%), Lesotho (50%), Namibia (21%) and Botswana (37%) all had more severe tariffs implemented.
Move production
Trump said that if any country wanted to be exempt from the tariffs, it would simply have to move its production to the United States.
Meanwhile, Trump also announced a global 25% tariff on all imported vehicles, which took effect from midnight in the United States.
The reciprocal tariffs will come into effect on Wednesday, 9 April, with the 10% tariff kicking in earlier on Saturday, 5 April.
Here are Donald Trump’s US Reciprocal Tariffs by country/region:
| Country/Region | Country/Region Tariff* | US Reciprocal Tariffs |
|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 49% | 10% |
| Albania | 10% | 10% |
| Algeria | 59% | 30% |
| Andorra | 10% | 10% |
| Angola | 63% | 32% |
| Anguilla | 10% | 10% |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 10% | 10% |
| Argentina | 10% | 10% |
| Armenia | 10% | 10% |
| Aruba | 10% | 10% |
| Australia | 10% | 10% |
| Azerbaijan | 10% | 10% |
| Bahamas | 10% | 10% |
| Bahrain | 10% | 10% |
| Bangladesh | 74% | 37% |
| Barbados | 10% | 10% |
| Belize | 10% | 10% |
| Benin | 10% | 10% |
| Bermuda | 10% | 10% |
| Bhutan | 10% | 10% |
| Bolivia | 20% | 10% |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 70% | 35% |
| Botswana | 74% | 37% |
| Brazil | 10% | 10% |
| British Indian Ocean Territory | 10% | 10% |
| British Virgin Islands | 10% | 10% |
| Brunei | 47% | 24% |
| Burma | 88% | 44% |
| Burundi | 10% | 10% |
| Cabo Verde | 10% | 10% |
| Cambodia | 97% | 49% |
| Cameroon | 22% | 11% |
| Cayman Islands | 10% | 10% |
| Central African Republic | 10% | 10% |
| Chad | 26% | 13% |
| Chile | 10% | 10% |
| China | 67% | 34% |
| Christmas Island | 10% | 10% |
| Cocos (Keeling) Islands | 10% | 10% |
| Colombia | 10% | 10% |
| Comoros | 10% | 10% |
| Congo (Brazzaville) | 10% | 10% |
| Congo (Kinshasa) | 22% | 11% |
| Cook Islands | 10% | 10% |
| Costa Rica | 17% | 10% |
| Cote d’Ivoire | 41% | 21% |
| Curacao | 10% | 10% |
| Djibouti | 10% | 10% |
| Dominica | 10% | 10% |
| Dominican Republic | 10% | 10% |
| Ecuador | 12% | 10% |
| Egypt | 10% | 10% |
| El Salvador | 10% | 10% |
| Equatorial Guinea | 25% | 13% |
| Eritrea | 10% | 10% |
| Eswatini | 10% | 10% |
| Ethiopia | 10% | 10% |
| EU | 39% | 20% |
| Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) | 82% | 41% |
| Fiji | 63% | 32% |
| French Guiana | 10% | 10% |
| French Polynesia | 10% | 10% |
| Gabon | 10% | 10% |
| Gambia | 10% | 10% |
| Georgia | 10% | 10% |
| Ghana | 17% | 10% |
| Gibraltar | 10% | 10% |
| Grenada | 10% | 10% |
| Guadeloupe | 10% | 10% |
| Guatemala | 10% | 10% |
| Guinea | 10% | 10% |
| Guinea-Bissau | 10% | 10% |
| Guyana | 76% | 38% |
| Haiti | 10% | 10% |
| Heard and McDonald Islands | 10% | 10% |
| Honduras | 10% | 10% |
| Iceland | 10% | 10% |
| India | 52% | 26% |
| Indonesia | 64% | 32% |
| Iran | 10% | 10% |
| Iraq | 78% | 39% |
| Israel | 33% | 17% |
| Jamaica | 10% | 10% |
| Japan | 46% | 24% |
| Jordan | 40% | 20% |
| Kazakhstan | 54% | 27% |
| Kenya | 10% | 10% |
| Kiribati | 10% | 10% |
| Kosovo | 10% | 10% |
| Kuwait | 10% | 10% |
| Kyrgyzstan | 10% | 10% |
| Laos | 95% | 48% |
| Lebanon | 10% | 10% |
| Lesotho | 99% | 50% |
| Liberia | 10% | 10% |
| Libya | 61% | 31% |
| Liechtenstein | 73% | 37% |
| Madagascar | 93% | 47% |
| Malawi | 34% | 17% |
| Malaysia | 47% | 24% |
| Maldives | 10% | 10% |
| Mali | 10% | 10% |
| Marshall Islands | 10% | 10% |
| Martinique | 10% | 10% |
| Mauritania | 10% | 10% |
| Mauritius | 80% | 40% |
| Mayotte | 10% | 10% |
| Micronesia | 10% | 10% |
| Moldova | 61% | 31% |
| Monaco | 10% | 10% |
| Mongolia | 10% | 10% |
| Montenegro | 10% | 10% |
| Montserrat | 10% | 10% |
| Morocco | 10% | 10% |
| Mozambique | 31% | 16% |
| Namibia | 42% | 21% |
| Nauru | 59% | 30% |
| Nepal | 10% | 10% |
| New Zealand | 20% | 10% |
| Nicaragua | 36% | 18% |
| Niger | 10% | 10% |
| Nigeria | 27% | 14% |
| Norfolk Island | 58% | 29% |
| North Macedonia | 65% | 33% |
| Norway | 30% | 15% |
| Oman | 10% | 10% |
| Pakistan | 58% | 29% |
| Panama | 10% | 10% |
| Papua New Guinea | 15% | 10% |
| Paraguay | 10% | 10% |
| Peru | 10% | 10% |
| Philippines | 34% | 17% |
| Qatar | 10% | 10% |
| Reunion | 73% | 37% |
| Rwanda | 10% | 10% |
| Saint Elena | 15% | 10% |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 10% | 10% |
| Saint Lucia | 10% | 10% |
| Saint Pierre and Miquelon | 99% | 50% |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 10% | 10% |
| Samoa | 10% | 10% |
| San Marino | 10% | 10% |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | 10% | 10% |
| Saudi Arabia | 10% | 10% |
| Senegal | 10% | 10% |
| Serbia | 74% | 37% |
| Sierra Leone | 10% | 10% |
| Singapore | 10% | 10% |
| Sint Maarten | 10% | 10% |
| Solomon Islands | 10% | 10% |
| South Africa | 60% | 30% |
| South Korea | 50% | 25% |
| South Sudan | 10% | 10% |
| Sri Lanka | 88% | 44% |
| Sudan | 10% | 10% |
| Suriname | 10% | 10% |
| Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 10% | 10% |
| Switzerland | 61% | 31% |
| Syria | 81% | 41% |
| Taiwan | 64% | 32% |
| Tajikistan | 10% | 10% |
| Tanzania | 10% | 10% |
| Thailand | 72% | 36% |
| Timor-Leste | 10% | 10% |
| Togo | 10% | 10% |
| Tokelau | 10% | 10% |
| Tonga | 10% | 10% |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 12% | 10% |
| Tunisia | 55% | 28% |
| Turkey | 10% | 10% |
| Turkmenistan | 10% | 10% |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | 10% | 10% |
| Tuvalu | 10% | 10% |
| Uganda | 20% | 10% |
| Ukraine | 10% | 10% |
| United Arab Emirates | 10% | 10% |
| United Kingdom | 10% | 10% |
| Uruguay | 10% | 10% |
| Uzbekistan | 10% | 10% |
| Vanuatu | 44% | 22% |
| Venezuela | 29% | 15% |
| Vietnam | 90% | 46% |
| Yemen | 10% | 10% |
| Zambia | 33% | 17% |
| Zimbabwe | 35% | 18% |
Any reason why Zimbabwe did better than the rest of southern Africa?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1
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