Trump Slaps Tariffs On Africa As He Hails 'liberation Day'

US President Donald Trump has slapped tariffs on African countries as part of his so-called 'Liberation Day' reshaping of global trade, which also sees a universal 10 baseline tariff on all imports into the US.

Among the African countries hardest hit by Trump's drive to introduce what he says are 'reciprocal' tariffs are the Southern African states of Lesotho, whose goods will be hit with a tariff of 50 Madagascar 47 Mauritius 40 Botswana 37 Angola 32 South Africa 30 Namibia 21 Zimbabwe 18 Zambia 17 and Malawi 17.

North Africa is also among the regions hit: Libya will be charged 31 Algeria 30 and Tunisia 28. In West Africa, Cte d'Ivoire is the hardest hit at 21, while Nigeria is subjected to a 14 tariff.

China, the continent's biggest trading partner, has been hit with a 54 tariff.

The reciprocal and universal tariffs appear to override the tariff-free provisions of the African Growth and Opportunity Act AGOA, the US legislation that has regulated much trade with Africa in recent decades but is due to expire this September.