- African trade ministers to meet on April 14 to discuss U.S. 10% tariff on imports
- Meeting aims to explore how African nations can respond to global protectionism
- AfCFTA Secretary-General, Wamkele Mene, calls U.S. tariff a "wake-up call" for Africa
African trade ministers are set to convene on April 14 to discuss the impact of President Donald Trump’s new tariff policy, which imposes a 10 percent tax on all goods imported into the U.S. from over 100 countries.
This meeting will bring together policymakers, economists, trade experts, and representatives from regional economic groups to determine how Africa can effectively respond to rising global protectionism.
Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), spoke to the media in Washington, D.C., describing the U.S. tariff as a wake-up call for Africa. He stressed that this decision highlights the need for African nations to expedite policies that promote intra-African trade and reduce dependency on global powers. “This is a wake-up call for us to accelerate our economic self-sufficiency,” he said. “The trade ministers will meet on April 14 to discuss how Africa should respond.”
Mene’s comments align with the growing belief among African leaders and trade officials that the shift toward economic nationalism and unilateral trade policies by major economies requires a unified and proactive response from Africa.
The new tariff could raise the cost of African exports to the U.S., reducing their competitiveness in the American market. Many African economies depend on exports like textiles, agricultural products, raw materials, and manufactured goods, which currently benefit from preferential access under agreements like the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
