U.S. President Donald Trump has escalated a sweeping trade war, imposing steep tariffs that spare no nation—allies or long-term partners alike.
Tunisia finds itself among the hardest hit, facing a 28% duty on exports to the U.S. under new reciprocal tariffs announced Wednesday.
The move, marking Trump’s second-term economic agenda, targets countries with existing high tariffs on American goods, with rates ranging from 10% to 46% (Vietnam: 46%, China: 34%).
Tunisia is one of the countries hardest hit by this decision, with tariffs of 28% on its exports to the United States. Needless to say, this rate is likely to have a major impact on bilateral trade as well as on certain key sectors of the Tunisian economy. These include Tunisian exports of olive oil, textiles and dates, to name but three.
For the time being, the official Tunisian authorities are refraining from the slightest reaction.
In any case, nothing will be able to alter the impact of the new US tariff decisions, as all the country’s trading partners are reduced to the position of ‘willing victims’, none of whom have managed to save their skins, except by getting away with 10% tariffs, no less.
At most, as the daily LaPresse predicts, industrial and commercial players are expressing concern about the potential impact of these new tariffs on the competitiveness of Tunisian exports to the United States.
For its part, the Tunisian government could launch consultations to assess the options available to it in response to this American decision.
It should be noted that the tariffs will enter into force in two phases: on April 5, 2025 for the basic tax of 10% and on April 9, 2025 for the tariffs specific to each country.
The Moroccan exception
It is widely accepted that the new tariff rates reflect the extent to which the United States is seeking to rebalance trade with countries that impose high tariffs on US products.
On the other hand, according to the FesNews website, Morocco has maintained its position as a reliable partner, benefiting from its strong historical ties with the United States and the free trade agreement signed between the two countries in 2006.
This American preference for Morocco does not come out of the blue, adds the same source, but reflects the depth of the economic and strategic relationship between Rabat and Washington, which extends to defense, investment and security cooperation.
On the contrary, the imposition of high tariffs on Tunisia and Algeria could have serious repercussions on their exports to the US market, especially in sectors heavily dependent on exports, such as textiles in Tunisia and energy resources in Algeria.
Today’s decisions confirm that US economic policy is based on mutual interests, with no country receiving privileges without being a reliable partner that respects the balance of trade.
Morocco has proven to be a solid economic and political partner thanks to its strategic relations, while Tunisia and Algeria are facing major challenges as a result of the new tariffs.
In addition to Tunisia, other Arab countries affected by the new tariffs include Jordan with 20%, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Morocco with 10%.
Africa: 10% to 50% range
A range from 10% to 50% Lesotho is the African country most affected, with tariffs on its exports to the United States increased to 50%.
It is followed by Madagascar (47%), Mauritius (40%), Botswana (37%), Angola (32%), Libya (31%), Algeria (30%), South Africa (30%) and Tunisia (28%), according to the Zoom Eco website.
Customs duties in other African countries range from 11% to 21%. Namibia and Côte d’Ivoire, for example, have a rate of 21%, followed by Zimbabwe (18%), Malawi (17%), Zambia (17%), Mozambique (16%), Nigeria (14%), Chad (13%), Equatorial Guinea (13%) and the Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon (11%).
Finally, most of the African countries affected by this decree are subject to tariffs of 10%, the minimum level applied by the United States in this new tariff policy.
They are Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Tanzania, Senegal, Uganda, Gabon, Togo, Liberia, Benin, Congo, Djibouti, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Eswatini, Sudan, Niger, Guinea, Mali, Cape Verde, Burundi, Gambia, Central African Republic, Eritrea, South Sudan, Comoros, Sao Tome and Principe, Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania.
These new taxes are likely to hurt African manufacturing sectors, particularly the automotive and textile industries, by making products less competitive in the United States.
According to a report by the Office of the United States Trade Representative, total merchandise exports from sub-Saharan Africa to the United States in 2023 will amount to USD 29.3 billion.
Crude oil ($7.3bn), precious metals ($4.7bn) and precious stones ($2.2bn) dominate, with motor vehicles ($1.7bn) and clothing ($1.4bn) also playing a significant role.
The main African suppliers were South Africa ($14.0 billion), Nigeria ($5.7 billion), Ghana ($1.7 billion), Angola ($1.2 billion) and Côte d’Ivoire ($948 million).
