By 
The President of the Republic of Zimbabwe H.E Emmerson Mnangagwa said he will direct his government to suspend all tariffs on American products.
This comes amidst Donald Trump’s blanket approach on imposing reciprocal tariffs increases to its trading partners, including African countries, the United States has imposed an 18% tariff on Zimbabwe.
In response to this, the president of Zimbabwe said reciprocal tariffs are a tool safeguarding domestic employment and industrial sectors, which holds merit, implying that he agrees with what the Trump administration is doing.
He said Zimbabwe maintains a policy of fostering amicable relations with all nations, and cultivating adversarial relationships with none.
“In the spirit of constructing a mutually beneficial and positive relationship with the United States of America, under the leadership of President Trump, I will direct the Zimbabwean government to implement a suspension of all tariffs levied on goods originating from the United States.
This measure is intended to facilitate the expansion of American imports within the Zimbabwean market; while simultaneously promoting the growth of Zimbabwean exports destined for United States. This action underscores our commitment to a framework of equitable trade and enhanced bilateral cooperation,” said President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Donald Trump has started a global trade war which can be dire for the American economy, with economist fearing for a global recession should this continue on this trajectory. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has also cautioned against this move and said it creates uncertainty and called upon the Trump administration to resolve matters constructively with its trading partners.
“We are still assessing the macroeconomic implications of the announced tariff measures, but they clearly represent a significant risk to the global outlook at a time of sluggish growth. It is important to avoid steps that could further harm the world economy. We appeal to the United States and its trading partners to work constructively to resolve trade tensions and reduce uncertainty.
We will share the results of our assessment in the World Economic Outlook, which will be published at the time of the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings later this month,” said the Managing Director of IMF Kristalina Georgieva.
Zimbabwe is not the only country affected by the reciprocal tariffs; the affected countries include Ghana, Lesotho and South Africa amongst others. The President of South Africa H.E Cyril Ramaphosa reacted by saying the he has noted the tariffs increase with concern.
The U.S imposed 30% reciprocal tariffs on South Africa on its goods and services exported to America. Though disheartening, Ramaphosa is hopeful to negotiate with the US to restore relations between the countries.
“Whilst South Africa remains committed to a mutually beneficial trade relationship with the United States, unilaterally imposed and punitive tariffs are a concern and serve as a barrier to trade and shared prosperity.
The tariffs affirm the urgency to negotiate a new bilateral and mutually beneficial trade agreement with the US, as an essential step to secure long-term trade certainty,” said Ramaphosa.
