Fragmented, weakened Africa braces for impact as US tariffs strike
Panelists at the Africa Unlocked Conference 2025 in Cape Town, South Africa. L-R: David Pilling, Financial Times Africa editor; Goolam Ballim, Standard Bank chief economist; Russel Brueton, Wesgro chief marketing and innovation officer; Aminu Umar, Sea Transport Services CEO; and Louw Pienaar, Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy senior analyst.
As global superpowers clash over trade, Africa stands at a crossroads, faced with rising tariffs, disrupted exports and shifting supply chains. It’s also the end of an era as the Africa Growth Opportunity Act (Agoa) expires in two months’ time.
Faced with weakened bargaining power against the Trump administration’s aggressive tariff onslaught, African nations may have to prepare individual, direct negotiations with the US after President Donald Trump re-imposed higher trade tariffs from August 1.
