Africa Largely Spared from U.S. Tariffs, But Trade Weakness Exposed — WTO’s Okonjo-Iweala

As U.S. tariffs shake the global economy, Africa appears mostly shielded—but the real challenge lies in its limited trade footprint.


At the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings, WTO Chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said Africa will face minimal impact from U.S. tariffs under President Trump, as only 6.5% of exports and 4.4% of imports involve the U.S.

She warned, however, that Africa’s limited trade ties highlight deeper structural issues. Using Lesotho’s textile exports as an example, she urged stronger intra-African trade, noting Africa spends $7 billion importing textiles that could be sourced internally.

Okonjo-Iweala pushed for greater use of the AfCFTA and called on the U.S. to ease tariff policies on Africa’s least-developed countries (LDCs).

Bottom line
Africa dodges U.S. tariff fallout, but internal trade and investment must grow for real resilience.