UN trade agency advises against tariffs on developing countries

President Donald Trump at the White House on April 2, 2025.

Photo credit: Reuters

A UN trade agency is cautioning the US against imposing tariffs on developing countries, seeing certain exports from these countries as important to alleviate poverty in the long run.

The UN Trade and Development agency (UNCTAD), which helps countries build trade policies, said developing countries should generally be exempt from reciprocal tariffs, particularly those imposed on green technologies or vital goods.